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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27219874">Rescue Fae's</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cindercat13/pseuds/Cindercat13'>Cindercat13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Fae Continuity [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers: Rescue Bots</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Creatures &amp; Monsters, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Gen, Shapeshifting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:08:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27219874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cindercat13/pseuds/Cindercat13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A family of heroes and monsters are just as surprised to find out aliens are real as the aliens themselves to find out magic is real. While in the middle of a war, how will this revelation change the Autobots outcome? For better or physical.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dani Burns/Taylor, Kade Burns/Hayley (Transformers)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Fae Continuity [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Welcome to earth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Somewhere in the vast emptiness of space, a lone ship with four crew aboard slept in a state of stasis. An alarm blinked for a few seconds before a transmission opened up on their main screen, as is played, a voice came through.<br/>“I have a message for all Autobots scattered throughout the galaxy. Though Cybertron has fallen, we still stand, follow these coordinates to join us. Priority prime.” As the voice played and came to an end, the ship immediately came to life and set a course that was provided by the transmission. The crew slowly starting to wake up.<br/><br/><br/>As the ship came into the planet’s atmosphere, it came crashing down to a screeching halt running through a few structures in the process. When it finally stopped, the lower part of the ship opened up to a ramp as the four crew walked out.<br/>Autonomous robotic organisms, called Cybertronian’s came out with caution. The first was a rose gold masculine-looking figure with bright red eyes, the next was a blue silver with the same appearance of looking like a male but this time with blue eyes, and third in the line was another male, though they appeared to be slimmer than the others, and had a bright gold look with orange eyes and what looked like fins on the side of their head. And last was a very bulky silver-green one, looking like the strength of the team, and also leaning heavily on the side of a male. He spoke up as he exited the ship behind the others, “What is this place?” he seemed more fascinated with the place than actually cautious like the others. “Earth.” A deep voice from behind them spoke, giving the team a spook. “And I am Optimus Prime,” another Cybertronian- Optimus, spoke. Seeming to be the owner of the voice.<br/>The rose gold bot stood in front of his team and looked up at the other that towered over them all. “Rescue force sigma 17 reporting for duty,” the red said as he saluted the bot in front of him. Optimus dropped the face guard and visor he had on to show them his face, as he looked somewhat confused at the team. “I was not aware rescue teams were… still active” Optimus seemed to ponder his words at that last part confusing the team. “Wherever there is an emergency, there are rescue bots, sir,” the blue silver one spoke addressing the bigger bot, “Wait, why wouldn’t we be active? How long were we in stasis? We better contact Cybertron HQ.” the gold one spoke looking back behind them to their ship maybe thinking of going back to make the contact. “That will not be necessary, nor possible. Cybertron is no longer are home, this planet is.” Optimus says in response to the younger bots questions, but this made the team look at each other in shock. Their home was gone? And now this planet was? What has happened? “I would ask you to follow me, I will give you a full explanation and answer any of your questions you may have,” Optimus spoke as he led the younger bots inside the building he came out from.<br/><br/><br/>At another place of the planet, on an island not too far from the shore of the bots. A young boy around the age of eight was riding his bike on the sidewalk, a playing card pegged to the back wheel of his bike as it made a clicking sound as it brushed the wheel. He rolled slightly not letting his feet peddle too much down a hill, this gave him the energy to wave to the people as he passed them.<br/>It was a very small island and the community felt like it was even smaller, you could fit the whole of its citizens in the town square alone. Once he was on the last stretch to school he heard familiar sirens slowly coming up from behind him, he turned his head around and came to a slow stop as an old police car he recognized stopped next to him. “Cody Burns, Griffin Rock P.D. Please pull over.” the officer said as he looked at the boy. “Figured you’d wanna say goodbye to the old rust bucket. It’s her last day on the job,” this man was Charlie Burns, the boy- Cody’s father. And he was the town’s chief officer. Cody sighed, “I still don’t understand why the city is making you get a new car dad, this one works fine,” Cody pointed out. “Progress kiddo, town wouldn’t be a high tech testing ground if we stayed bad,” was the chief’s response. “Give it up dad, if Cody had his way we’d all still be peddling everywhere” a boy with red hair and in his late teens said from the passenger’s seat.<br/>“Of course you’d still be on training wheels Kade,” a girl with dark brown hair and just a little younger than the first teen said reaching over from the back seat and shaking Kade’s shoulder. “Yeah, and the helmet might mess up your hair,” another boy said, but this time he had glasses on and being even younger still than the girl before him while reaching over from the back and ruffling Kade’s hair.<br/><br/>Kade then let out a low clicking hiss at the boy as his eyes glowed a bright blue and his teeth sharpened slightly, but oddly enough this didn’t disturb the people present and Kade went to immediately fix his hair. “Hey! Quit it Graham, and you to Dani,” Kade said as his younger siblings leaned back in their seats. As Kade fixed his hair his eyes went back to normal and so did his teeth. Charlie then looked back at his youngest, “Don’t forget to be at the dedication this afternoon,” he reminded. “Do you think I could test drive the-” Cody started but was then cut off by his sister. “Cody, where getting rescue vehicles, not go-carts.” Dani said and then shifting her attention to her second younger brother as he winded down his window, “Sorry buddy, for authorized emergency responders only. But if you had your shift then we could maybe make an exception if we kept it a secret,” Graham said showing his response badge but then shrugging.<br/><br/>You see, the Burns family of Griffin Rock were no ordinary family. Far from it. They were all mythological monsters in disguise, that’s what Kade’s hiss was before. From oldest to youngest, Chief Charlie Burns was a thunderstorm spirit, anything to do with an element in that type of weather he could control. From lightning to wind, to water, he had at the command of his fingertips. Next was Kade Burns, the eldest sibling of the family. And under his good looks lurked an ugly mug, he was a sea monster with the ability to manipulate water, think like water bending from that one show, except what he did was actually called water-mancy. With that and his dense skin and tough hide, he made a match in heaven for his career choice, he didn’t even have to turn the hose to aim at the fire, he could just manipulate the water to go there for him. Next was the only girl of the family, Dani Burns. She was, amazingly enough, a fairy, but don’t let that beautiful thought fool you. She is very well versed in healing spells and many other types of magic that could leave a good burn mark on not just your pride. The last of the shifters in the family was Graham Burns, he was a golem. His powers were a plethora of things ranging from being able to control rocks and earth to talking to animals. But while Graham was akin with the planet he walked on, he was far more interested in the technology the planet had to offer and how it could better their lives. All of them were going to be living around for a very long time, and Graham logiced that he might as well stay up to date with the world rather than root himself in the past. And last of all was Cody. He hadn’t yet found his shift, but they had reason to believe it was going to be a strong one.<br/><br/>Cody sighed as he looked away in disappointment. You are supposed to get your first shift or at least signs of it around the age of five, and Cody was 8 coming to 9 in a few months. He was a really late bloomer and his siblings often teased him about it. “So basically, everyone in the family but me.” Cody said as he looked at his hands gripping the bike. There was nothing he could do, he was just as defenseless as a normal human child. “I have to go drop these trouble makers off and take a chopper back to the mainland. Now you get your bottom to school. And Cody, give it time, you’ll find your place.” His dad said resting a hand on his shoulder before driving off. Cody watched them turn the corner and felt like he wanted to cry, the more years that went by the more he wondered if he really was that special to have his mother’s life taken away the same day he was born.<br/><br/><br/>Later that same day, back with the rescue bot’s and Optimus, after they have had their questions answered to satisfactory results it was time to think of moving forward. The rescue force stood in line at attention as Optimus stood in front of them, “Heatwave, Chase, Blades, Boulder. After careful consideration, I have chosen your new mission.” Optimus said. “Nice!” the rose gold one- Heatwave, said while doing a fist pump. “We are happy to join the battle sir,” the silver-blue one- Chase said while doing a salute. “So when do we roll out?” Heatwave asked sounding eager. “You do not.” Optimus said shutting Heatwave’s enthusiasm down. “As perhaps the last rescue bots in existence, you are uniquely suited to help the people of this planet. As well as learn from them.” “You mean we’ll interact with humans?” the silver-green one- Boulder asked. It was a valid question. “You will be ambassadors to the people of this planet, the first Autobot’s to live with a human family. Study their customs, obey their rules, and work together to keep this planet safe. During this mission, you four must appear to the humans as machines, robots in disguise.” Optimus said earning a surprised- “What?” from Heatwave. “While the people of earth are comfortable with advanced technology, the idea that alien beings are living among them will undoubtedly cause panic.” Optimus explained. “So we can help the humans as long as we hide our true selves,” Heatwave said sounding less than pleased. “You are right to question what is right for your team Heatwave. That is why I am asking you to lead this mission.” Optimus said while holding out a servo. Heatwave looked at it for a second and then shook it in agreement.<br/><br/>Optimus then walked over to a garage door and pressed a button next to it, the roller door beside him slowly opened up to reveal four vehicles. A firetruck, a police car, a bulldozer, and a helicopter. “To maintain your cover, you will each adopt a vehicle mode based on earth technology,” Optimus said gesturing to the vehicles that were just revealed. Boulder stepped ahead of the others as he already had a vehicle that caught his attention, “Woah! Look at those lines, this things a powerhouse” he said showing interest in the bulldozer. “Boulder, do you wish to scan first?” Optimus asked but didn’t need a response as Boulder seemed to be one step ahead of him, the muscle of the team scanned the construction equipment and then swiftly transformed in front of his team, his engine rumbling soundly.<br/>Heatwave came up in front of the firetruck and gave it a quick once-over, “Huh, primitive. But apparently they use this for what I did back home,” the fire bot said taking his scan and then transforming and backing up to back in line.<br/>Chase came up next and stood in front of the police car and then turned to Optimus, “Is this what earth authorities use for rule enforcement?” the younger bot asked and he received a single nod, that was good enough for Chase, so the cop bot took his scan and after he transformed came back into line.<br/>The gold bot- Blades looked at the vehicles but there was only one left that hadn’t been taken. Optimus came forward and addressed the young medical bot, “It seems your choice has been made for you Blades.” Blades said nothing as he scanned the copter and transformed but when he tried to drive instead he jumped off the ground a bit, that’s when the panicking realization hit him. “Wait, this thing flies?” Blades said as his voice box quivered with fear. Boulder drove forward a bit to address Optimus. “He doesn’t like heights” Optimus would have chuckled a little at that if he didn’t hear the sound of a door opening, and who of all people would come into view would be Chief Burns.<br/>The human stood next to Optimus and faced the vehicles. “This is Chief Charlie Burns, he knows are secret and will help you keep yours. Rescue bots, good luck.” Optimus wished as he watched how their interaction would go. “It is an honor and a privilege,” the chief greeted. “We’re over here,” Heatwave said, and that immediately confused the senior policeman as he looked between the identical vehicles in the room. He was facing the wrong ones that were apparently not the bots.<br/><br/>“Oops, sorry.” The chief apologized. “I leave them in your hands, Chief Burns,” Optimus said before walking out of sight of them. Charlie looked at the bots and then cleared his throat, “Okay if you want to transform and follow me that would be appreciated.” The bots didn’t need to be told twice as they transformed into their new looks and stood towering over the human. All of them took a look at the others and at themselves, as their bodies now had some attributes of the vehicles they scanned. “Wow, despite getting something that can fly, I love the new look” Blades said as he checked over the white and orange body he had now. “I like the hat you have on now Heatwave,” Boulder said as the firetruck took a look at himself. He brushed his fingers against the rim and smiled, he didn’t mind the hat ether.<br/>Chief Burns watched them inspect their bodies and coughed once to let them know that they had to get going. They all looked at him in tangent and then caught up with the human as he led them to a platform. “I need you to stand on the triangles that match your color and then transform while facing me,” Charlie said as he then watched the bots find their respected colors and face him and then transform back into their alts. “Good, now while Griffin Rock is a very high tech town. We haven’t exactly perfected replicating human speech yet into A.I, so you’re going to need to <em>-talk like this-</em> to speak to your partners, who are my sons and daughter. And only speak when you are spoken to, otherwise, people might get suspicious and there goes your mission. Any questions?” the chief asked. “Umm… I’ve got one, what are sons and daughter?” Blades asked sounding a little confused. Charlie felt a little stupid at that, maybe their species didn’t have that type of parenting style of referring to their children. “If you are really curious I’ll tell you later… …oh jeez I haven’t even asked for any of your names,” Charlie said once he realized he didn’t know the copter's name. “Well, I’m the leader, Heatwave,” the firetruck introduced. “I am Chase. I would assume I’d be your partner if you are head of the law enforcement here chief Charlie Burns,” Chase introduced. “Please, all of you, call me Chief Burns,” Charlie said with a smile. “Well my name is Boulder,” the green bulldozer introduced, “And I’m Blades.” The helicopter finally said introducing himself. Charlie then became alerted by the com on his collar that he and the bots were on. “Okay, stay quiet, and stay exactly where you are. I have to give a small speech before letting you up so do not go anywhere,” Charlie said as he then went out the door he came in.<br/><br/><br/>After school was over for Cody that day he was at the dedication in the park like his father reminded him, and he was now just locking up his bike in the bike racks as a crowd formed around the stage, his dad was already up there and waiting. “Cody! come here!” a friend of Cody’s called from the crowd and then seemed to disappear back into it as Cody came up to her. Cody pushed through the crowd until he was at the front and who he saw was his friend and her father, “Hey Doc, Frankie.” Cody greeted as he stood next to them.<br/>Dr. Greene and Francine Greene, the islands appointed scientist and his daughter, they were a small family just like the Burns’s with a kept secret like them. Frankie was at one point completely human until she passed away during childbirth along with her mother. Doc Greene struck with grief changed that in a single stormy night, he forcibly started making Franke’s heart work and patched her together turning her into a version of Frankenstein’s monster in a sense. It was only unfortunate that he couldn’t revive his wife, but at the same time, he wasn’t complaining that it was their daughter that came back at all. And now years later, and with the help from a cloaking devise, Frankie looked like any normal child. The Greene’s weren’t magically gifted like the Burns’s but what they made up in that department for was science and tech, and on the off occasion, alchemy.<br/><br/>“Isn’t this exciting? The tech is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Frankie said holding a brochure to her chest but Cody had his eyes upon the stage and on his dad. The chief cleared his throat and started speaking, getting everyone's attention, “Ah, thanks for coming folks,” Chief Burns said starting off. Frankie looked at the stage and then back at Cody, “I’m not talking about the rescue stuff, I’m talking about this, the new exhibit at the museum. Cyberwire saurian structures infused with cretaceous DNA!” Frankie still didn’t peek at Cody’s interest but remained quiet as the chief continued. “Our town has a long history of being on the cutting edge of new technology, now, thanks to our good friends in Washington, I give you the latest in emergency response. The rescue bots,” Chief Burns said gesturing to the opening stage from under him.<br/>The stage under him opened and what lifted up on a platform were the bots still in their alt modes. The crowd cheered before toning down a bit at the chiefs next few words, “Robots! Transform!” all of the bots transformed in front of the humans in the order they were standing in, Heatwave, Boulder, Chase, and finally Blades. The crowd roared with cheering again as the chief continued, “These robotic rescue vehicles will streamline our resources. Now one team with one robot can do the work of an entire police force,” Chief Burns said gesturing to Chase, “Fire department,” he said turning to Heatwave, and Kade walked out from behind the bot with a smirked grin. “Emergency response unit,” looking at Blades who had Dani standing next to him. “And energy core.” Finishing with Boulder and Graham who was working away on a tablet. “Each robot is programmed to only respond to the command of its handler. So you can sleep at night, knowing that Griffin Rock is protected by the very best that technology, and humanity, have to offer.” The crowd started cheering again and congratulating the Burns.<br/><br/>As Cody watched he had his attention more on the bots than his family. When he spotted something absolutely bizarre.<br/>The green bot that was the bulldozer had a butterfly land on its nose, and instead of the bot remaining motionless it raised its hand slightly to its face before being elbowed by the firetruck and going back to being motionless. Cody felt his eyes practically burn with shock as he watched what had just happened, he then saw that the same green bot blow out an intentional breath of air to get the butterfly off itself.<br/>Cody leaned to Frankie, “Hey, that bot moved on its own,” the young blonde whispered but didn’t seem to get a response from his friend. He then climbed up to the stage and walked up to the bots that moved, he felt like their eyes were on him, yet the aura was more of a curious and weary one that harmful. He lightly knocked on the green one's leg to see if it would react but it only remained motionless. “Hey kid can you move? I want a photo of the Burns family of heroes,” a reporter said with a camera in hand. Cody looked to his family and sighed sadly. The reporter passed him without getting his response and the child felt a tightness threatening to constrict his whole ribcage, he really felt like he was going to combust from the inside out with just his emotions alone. He then heard his father’s comlink alarm go off and his attention was then immediately changed.<br/><br/>“This is the chief, go ahead,” Chief Burns said then a voice spoke through that Cody was too far away to hear. “Fire at the natural history museum,” as soon as the chief said that the red bot transformed back into a firetruck and seemed to stay there waiting. Cody felt the burn in his eyes again as he watched with amazement at how smoothly the bot just transformed, but also with curiosity. How did the bot know when to do that without Kade’s command? “Hey, I didn’t tell it to do that,” said fireman spoke. “Its new technology son, bound to be some bugs.” The chief said making an excuse but Cody for some reason didn’t buy it, he could feel this odd sensation in his chest that told him that there was more to this than met the eye.<br/><br/>On the way to the rescue, the Burns teens weren’t doing so well with the new robots, Dani specifically. She could hear the copter's control stick grind as she tried to push it forward more but it almost seemed like it was resisting her. “Come on go faster! Where being outrun by a bulldozer,” Dani said as she tried harder to mover the vehicle faster. <em>“I do not understand.”</em> Blades said in the robotic voice the chief asked him to speak in. “Not. So. Slow.” Dani spelled out for the copter, <em>“Fly low. Understood.”</em> Blades said back so it gave him the excuse to fly lower. Dani groaned at this, wondering if she could maybe get there herself if she shifted, but she then threw that idea out the window because these were the new rescue bots, all eyes were going to be on them and their riders. Plus she would just get an earful from her dad later.<br/>Cody followed his family on bike and had that burning sensation in his eyes again as he watched the orange copter fly slower than the bulldozer and lower than what he knew Dani to go at, this made the young boy even more suspicious as he continued to follow.<br/><br/>As Chase and Chief Burns screeched to a stop the officer hopped out of the car addressed and him, “transform, and clear the museum of civilians,” Chase did just that as he turned back into bot mode with his visor down and started walking into the building. <em>“Please evacuate in an orderly fashion,”</em> Chase said in his robot voice, which wasn’t that different from his normal voice in all honesty, while Chief ushered the crowd outside to move further away.<br/>Kade and Heatwave then pulled up and Chase walked back up to the Chief with mummified humans in his servos, “These humans did not respond,” Chase said. Chief Burns chuckled a little before answering, “well I don’t think we have to worry too much about them partner.”<br/><br/>Kade then got to putting the fire out using his water-mancy with the water that came out of the hose, you wouldn’t be able to tell unless you were actually looking for it, but, you would find that Kade didn’t even turn the hose to aim the water. It just moved towards the flames, and that was Kade’s doing.<br/>As Graham and Boulder came onto the scene they stopped in front of the potted plants as Graham spoke his plan to the robots monitor. “We need to move the planters to create a fire block,” “But I-” Boulder started before catching himself. <em>“That will destroy the harmonious nature of the plaza's design.”</em> Graham looked at the monitor like it had a cockroach on the inside of it, “What?” he continued doing the task himself as he maneuvered the bot.<br/>As those two got onto that, Dani and Blades finally touched down. “Nice of you to show up Dani,” Kade teased as he watched his sister leave the copter and she did not look amused. “I would have been here sooner if my ride wasn’t stuck in neutral. Ugh, next time I’m flying.” Dani said as she walked up to the crowd with a paramedic bag. Cody had arrived just in time hiding behind some bushes to hear Blades sigh and slightly droop down.<br/><br/>When the fire was out Dani and Kade came inside to group with Chief Burns and Graham and were followed stealthily behind by Cody who hid behind an exhibit watching them. “Looks like a short started the fire, but this should hold for now. Cyberwire is just too much for this old tech,” Graham said fixing up a few boards on one of the exhibits. “Well at least nobody got hurt,” Chief Burns said before they heard a grind of metal from above them and looked up to see one of the exhibits heads had fallen off and was about to land right on top of them.<br/>Graham pushed his father down and was about to sturdy his arms to become solid rock as he prepared to catch the head but was beaten to it by the firetruck bot who put its servo through the window and caught it. “I didn’t tell it to do that,” Kade said as he came up closer to his family with Dani, “I wouldn’t complain,” she said moving the two away from the exhibits. Chief Burns looked back at Heatwave and nodded in thanks, “Your robot was still in rescue mode, you gave it the directive to save lives, so he did,” the chief lied again trying to make up a good enough cover. “You’re welcome Graham,” Kade said smugly. Heatwave silently sneered behind them at the redhead human’s attitude before putting the dinosaur head on the ground just next to Graham. “I could still chuck it at you,” it was the engineers turn to be smug, as his older brother’s expression dropped and the water that was dripping from the sealing stopped. The puddles underneath them rippled from Kade’s control and Graham held his hand down to the ground but the head sounded like it was rattling slightly, both of them looking like they were about to square up. That was when Graham had realized he had one broken head, and Kade had a whole after flooded room. “All right that’s enough you two,” their father stopped them. Kade released his hold on the water and Graham relaxed. After the near scuffle, the Burns’s decided to turn in for the night. They were all exhausted and had to complete some of their monster tasks.<br/><br/><br/>Later at the firehouse, after the bots had been parked, Heatwave transformed out of alt mode and walked over to a panel with a few switches and levers. “Where are you going?” Boulder asked. “I need some space. Chief said there is a bunker down below street level, a relic of something they called ‘the cold war’.” Heatwave said flipping the lever to lower the platform they were all parked on.<br/>As it lowered Chase transformed out of his alt mode as well, “Apparently we are getting some space to.” The police bot said as he and Boulder were dragged along, or rather, lowered. “Wait for me!” Blades called as he transformed and jumped onto the lowering platform followed by Boulder. When the platform lowered far enough a trapdoor closed over their heads and sealed off the notion that the bots were ever there in the first place.<br/><br/>Upstairs, the Burns were having dinner and chatting fondly over how the day went for them. “You and I are so having a spar next weekend Graham,” Kade said swallowing a raw fish. The Burns had a tradition of going to the other side of the island every weekend to relax and let loose, this could involve anything from practicing their powers to just horsing around, and even on some occasions, they would spar.<br/>As everyone sat at the table you could tell some things were off here and there. Graham didn’t have anything, as he needed to root himself into solid earth in order to get nutrients, he couldn’t eat processed things, only raw, but that still didn’t give him the excuse to not hang out with his family. Kade was easy, fish, fish galore! Ether raw or boiled, he couldn’t process anything cooked and most other meats made him feel uneasy. Dani was another seemingly easy one, sugar, she worked similar to a hummingbird in that regard, and so you would see her having things like candy and cakes. Charlie was one that actually didn’t need to eat, he could just absorb a bit of electricity and he would be golden. Cody was the only normal one who needed normal food, so it was often Charlie who sorted him out.<br/>Everyone was laughing and chatting as Cody tried to get some things he saw off his chest, “I still don’t get it. How did Kade’s robot know how to-” the young boy started but was cut off by Dani. “I noticed a few things wrong with my copter but at least I had it under control,” she smiled. “A glitch it one thing but I saw-” Cody was interrupted again but this time by his dad as he set some cooked chips in front of him. “Kade, Dani, Graham. You guys did great work today,” the father congratulated his eldest’s who all smiled proudly for themselves. Cody felt absolutely awful, and he suddenly lost his appetite. He needed some space, and he also wanted to have a look properly at the new bots. “Can I be excused?” he asked his father who nodded and they watched as the youngest slid down the fire pole.<br/><br/>In the bunker, Heatwave was practicing self-defense with a wooden turning log while venting out his anger. “Optimus or no Optimus, I don’t know how long I can put up with this. Ordered around. Others taking the credit. Having to pretend were tin cans…” Heatwave said through a series of punches. “Well did you see how my partner piolets me? My controls are still sore, it’s always higher! Higher! Faster! Faster! Still… it was nice being a part of an emergency response again.” Blades said trying to look on the bright side. “I find our chief quite competent, there is much he can tell us about earth's law enforcement procedures,” Chase said with a cloth in servo and cleaning his chest plate. “The humans do have strange ways, but that’s what makes them so interesting,” Boulder said looking at a painting.<br/>Heatwave then jumped down from the lift he was atop of and landed with a heavy thud, not sounding happy. “I’m leaving.” The red bot said bluntly. “You can’t leave, you’re our leader,” Boulder said sounding shocked. “Then we’ll all go, those humans will never understand us… we don’t belong here.” “Now that’s the understatement of the centre right there,” Cody said after Heatwave as he slid down the pole.<br/><br/>The bots all dropped what they were doing and stiffened. “Don’t bother, you’re not fooling anybody. Trust me, living in Griffin Rock, I know robots. And you guys? Worst robots ever,” Cody said. “We’ve failed in our mission. Our cover is blown, if this human knows, he’ll tell the others,” Chase said slouching, clearly disappointed in himself. “Are you kidding? And waste the chance to know something they don’t? Something this huge? I’m the best thing that could have happened to your mission because I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about earth,” Cody said pointing his thumb at himself. “Can you teach me how to make my human stop yelling?” Blades asked, “Dani? I don’t think anybody could do that. I’m Cody by the way,” the boy said raising a hand up to the orange helicopter who kneeled down and gently shook it. Cody could feel his eyes practically bursting with excitement. “I’m Blades,” the shy bot said. “Boulder,” the bulldozer said pointing to himself. “Classified,” the police bot said, “that’s Chase,” Boulder said. “And I’m Heatwave, so, Cody. Now that you know what we are, name one good reason we shouldn’t leave this planet right now.” The firetruck bot said leaning down when he noticed something odd. Cody’s eyes were hazel when he first saw the boy, and now they were glowing different types of purple in a water gloss like flow.<br/><br/>“Well for one, when you said that the humans will never understand and that you don’t belong here, I said that’s the biggest understatement of the centre?” “Yes...” Heatwave said wondering where this was going. “That’s because my family specifically couldn’t understand your situation any better than probably anyone on this island. We aren’t even human, were all mythical monsters, we have to disguise ourselves as human to blend in with the town,” Cody said waiting to see the bots reactions. “Is that why your eyes are glowing purple?” Blades asked as he looked at Cody. The young boy gasped and quickly rushed over to a mirror and saw that, yes! His eyes were glowing! He had finally unlocked his shift! Now the question was to figure out what he was and how to go full throttle… “Yep! Exactly, and if you heard Dani Blades, as she walked away from you at the rescue she said next time she’s flying. She is a fairy, a magical person with long insect wings on her back. And Heatwave, did you notice how Kade didn’t move the hose to aim the water? It just moved there by itself? Or when the water stopped dripping in the building when Kade was about to pick a fight with Graham? Or with Graham himself, how he said he could still throw it at Kade and how he looked like he was about to catch the head before you got it? Kade is a sea monster that has practiced to control water, and Graham is a golem, he can manipulate the earth and turn his body into rock.” Cody brought up several good points. Heatwave did find it odd how Graham looked like he wanted to catch the head, and how the water did abruptly stop when Kade got mad. Did they really have to hide?<br/><br/>“Why in the all spark would you need to hide yourselves?” Heatwave asked. “The same reason you probably do, because people fear what they don’t understand, and monster shifters like my family are not considered normal on earth. They think where just myths, not supposed to be real, pure fantasy. Like you guys, nobody, human or monster believes aliens are real. So if my family finds out about you guys, even they’re going to be so surprised,” Cody explained. “So it’s sort of like a loop then, we are aliens in disguise so we need humans to control us. While Cody’s family needs us to keep up the appearance that they're just doing their jobs,” Boulder explained. “You couldn’t have got it more spot on Boulder,” Cody said with a thumbs up. The bulldozer didn’t know what that meant but he smiled.<br/>“Hey I have an idea, if you guys want to follow me I can show you something cool,” Cody said walking up to a massive sliding door on the wall and when he pressed the panel next to it the massive door rolled open to a cave and Cody beckoned them to follow. They all looked at each other but followed the human youth anyway. As they walked they noticed that it was sort of steep as they assumed they were coming up to higher ground and when they exited they were far above the town with its lights on for show of the night.<br/><br/>“There are tunnels like this one all over the island and they all lead back to the bunker, perfect for sneaking around,” Cody said jumping up to a rock and taking a seat to look over the town. He believed he could add jumping sort of high to the list at least. “Woah, it’s like a million optic set in carbon, so beautiful…” Boulder said. “You haven’t seen anything Boulder. Dani can make the stars flash like fireflies, or bring the aurora lights to Griffin Rock. I’ll ask her to do that some night so you can see,” Cody said and felt happy as he saw the bot smile. “I don’t know what those are, but if they're prettier than this then I would love to see it,” the bulldozer said. “But you have to admit, for now, this is pretty.” Blades said gazing at the town with his teammate. “I guess it kind of is. So why would you want to leave?” the young boy asked the red truck.<br/><br/>Later, the five of them were watching a movie at the drive-in cinema but were parked atop a hill still overlooking the area and it was far back enough that no one would be able to see them if the bots transformed. They were all in their alt modes with Cody sitting on Heatwave with a bucket of popcorn, as the movie played a robot came across the screen, a perfect example for the bots to get an idea of. “This is what everybody will expect you to act like,” Cody said referring them to the robot on screen, “See?” Cody then hopped off of Heatwave and started acting. “Lock your legs, and stick out your arms,” Cody said doing a short robot walk. “Now you try,”<br/>The bots transformed and did as requested with Chase, Boulder, and Blades doing as Cody acted but Heatwave remained still until Cody gave him a look that made the bot more curious than anything, because of how Cody’s eyes were glowing bright purple, but he got the gist that Cody wanted him to practice because of his expression. “Really?” Heatwave complained but did as the others did anyway. Blades started doing this odd robot dance and added his own sound effects but Cody had to stop him, “I don’t know where you learned that, but no.” Blades then went back to copying the others, which now that Cody looked at them it reminded him of a zombie walk more than anything. That was when Heatwave came up to the young boy and took a knee in front of him, “Look Cody I understand what you’re doing, but what I don’t get it how- <em>“talking like this”</em> is going to make my ride-along respect me.” “The trick with Kade is to make him think he’s in charge. Trust me, I’ve been doing it for years”<br/><br/>Speaking of Kade and the other's partners, the bots had some more questions regarding them. Blades was the first to ask.<br/>“Hey Cody, about what you said are partners are. What does Dani really do exactly? Like, what exactly is a fairy?” Blades asked getting down on his knees next to Heatwave because he believed he was in for a little conversation. Cody started, “Well, a fairy is a magical humanoid with long pointed insect wings on their back and they can fly around and cast magic.” “Magic?” Heatwave asks. “Magic is a practice you have to study for, and there are a few different types of it performed by different creatures. Fairy’s just have a gift for most of it. Kade uses a magic native to aquatic shifters called water-mancy, it uses motion to control the acts of water and if you get good enough at it you can control it psychically. That is why you don’t see Kade move when the water does something. As for Dani, she specializes in healing types of magic but she does tones of other stuff like making charms and totems.” Cody said. Boulder then kneeled down with the others and so did Chase as they had questions too.<br/><br/>“What about Graham? If magic is a study I can imagine he’d be pretty good at it.” Boulder asked. “You’d think that but no, Graham has never really been interested in performing magic. More on the lines of watching it, but any element or relation you can think of that relates to the earth he will most likely have control over. Same with my dad but with thunderstorms.” Cody said. “Then does Graham look different like how you say Dani looks different?” Chase asked. “Transforming into our monster forms is no different I’d imagine then you guys turning into your vehicle modes, we call the process of changing into our other form shifting and when we refer to are form we call it our shift. So Dani’s shift is a fairy and Graham’s shift is a golem. And as for what Graham looks like, imagen you guys but made out of stone and rock then you have a pretty good idea.” Cody said. “Would he be as tall as us?” Blades asked sounding a little nervous, “Yep! Just a little bigger than Boulder actually,”<br/>That made all of the bots look at each other with a little shock. If Graham wanted to, he could outgrow Boulder from the inside of his cab out, and seriously hurt him. Maybe the normal humans had the right to be scared of monsters because they felt a little scared themselves. “And Dani stays her original height?” Chase asks mainly worrying about Blades in that situation, “Yep, and so does my dad.” Both Blades and Chase sigh with relief. “Wait. How big can Kade get then?” Heatwave asked noticing how the boy didn’t mention his older brother. “When Kade shift’s into a comfortable spot, he is around half your height Heatwave, but can go big enough to circle the entire island and bite his tail but he vows to only go that big when he’s underwater or in an extreme emergency like if a tsunami happens,” all of the bots gulped as they were a little worried that Kade could just squish the island if he wanted to. “What does Kade look like then?” Heatwave asked suddenly sounding very weary of his ride-along. “He’s mainly aquatic looking, he has dense skin and a tough hide of scales so he can go into the abyssal zone of the ocean with ease. That’s where the water is so heavy it would crush a human and you wouldn’t be able to see your own hand in front of your face. He can have legs, but whenever he’s swimming half of his body turns fish like, just don’t call him a mermaid.” Heatwave debated whether or not he should because on one hand Kade was a jerk but on the other, he could squish him into a toy firetruck.<br/>“And what of Chief Burns? What does he look like?” Chase asked. “My dad is a thunderstorm spirit, anything that has to do with that type of weather my dad can control. Wind, lighting, water, he’s like Graham but his connections are in the sky. He’s probably the strongest out of all of us because all of those elements that I listed could really hurt Kade, Dani, and Graham. As for what he looks like, his skin turns into a lightning blue and his hair turns into clouds and water slowly spins around him. Otherwise, that’s it.” Cody answered honestly. His dad never went into his shift often, but it meant things were about to go down when he did. Chase suddenly felt very scared for his spark that he had a partner who could electrocute him from his inside out. The same honestly went for the rest of the bots. Heatwave and Boulder could have their rider’s break them open from the inside out, and Chase and Blades had someone who could probably make them self combust.<br/><br/>“What about you?” Heatwave asked. All of the bots were suddenly aware that Cody was a part of the family of shifters too, and that he should have a shift as well, his eyes had been glowing purple for a while now to, so was this his shift? “Oh, I don’t know. In fact, I just discovered it today when Blades mentioned that I had purple eyes, has anything else changed?” the bots shook their helms.<br/>“So you just discovered your shift today? Is there meant to be a point in your life when you’re meant to discover it?” Boulder asked. “Yeah… around when you turn five you're supposed to be showing symptoms, like what I am now with my eyes glowing, and then later after a bit of practice, I should be able to control when it happens. But I’m a really late bloomer, I was actually worried for a while that I wouldn’t even have a shift.” The bots looked at each other again and then back at Cody. He didn’t know what he was yet, and this is the first time he’s started to show symptoms. Well, they suddenly didn’t have time to ask another question when they heard a roar coming from around the parking lot for the theatre.<br/><br/>“Is that part of the film?” Blades asked standing up with the others to see where that sound came from. A robotic t-rex came crashing and roaring into the street and destroyed a street light as the bots and Cody watched. “I know I’m new here but aren’t dinosaurs supposed to be extinct?” Blades asked. “This one is about to be,” Heatwave said slamming his fist into an open servo before Cody came in front of him, “Heatwave wait! Look, if anyone sees you taking on that dino on your own, there goes your cover and your mission.” Cody said stopping the firetruck before he did something he might regret.<br/>The dinosaur then looked up at the drive-in cinema’s sign and roared at it coming closer, “it’s attracted to the lights!” Boulder said when he saw the dinosaur. Just as the robotic replica was about to attack some of the people watching the movie Cody shouted, “Chase hit your lights!” the police bot did as asked and brightly flashed his sirens and it got the beast's attention. It roared at the bots and started to make its way up to them. “That got its attention, now what?” Chase asked. Cody responded, “We need to lure him somewhere with no people around,” “rescue bots! Roll to the rescue!” Heatwave commanded and turned into his alt mode and the others followed suit and started driving down the hill to get the t-rex’s attention.<br/><br/>As Cody watched he was about to call after them when he realized that he still wasn’t a rescue responder, and without knowing what his shift was he was as good as useless. Until he heard tiers screech to a stop and then reverse as Heatwave came back up the hill and opened his door for Cody to hop in. If anybody else was watching, Cody looked like he had a blue in his eyes and glitter as he smiled excitably at Heatwave and jumped in completely missing the step. As Cody sat Heatwave buckled the boy in and hugged him close to his seat and speed off after the others tailing the t-rex. As they speed into the street they eventually passed the robot and it locked onto heatwave, “He’s following, but we’re still gonna need an assist,” Cody said watching the t-rex try to bite at Heatwave through the monitor. “I’ll com-link the chief in,” Heatwave said but before Cody could stop him his father was already on the monitor. “Rescue headquarters, go ahead,” “Dad! Uh, okay, first, don’t worry. I’m with the rescue bots.” “What?! Who gave you permission to-” “They did. I mean, uh, dad, I don’t know how to tell you this, but the rescue bots aren’t robots. They’re from another planet. They’re aliens.” Cody expected his dad to berate him but was surprised by his next response. “How long have you known?” that caught Cody for a loop. “Wait. You know?” “Cody where are you?” Chase then cut in as they came up to the dirt roads that lead to the back forests of the island, “Chief Burns, if I may. We are headed westbound on Lake Street with a dinosaur in pursuit.” “A dinosaur? Again? Cody, you aren’t driving, are you?” Chief Burns asked. “No,” Cody said quickly taking his hands off Heatwave’s steering wheel which he honestly didn’t know he had a death grip on. If Heatwave was in bot form he would have been smiling at how this kid was.<br/><br/>After a few minutes Charlie had gotten his other kids and was driving towards the action with his old car until they came to a red light where Kade asked, “Why are we taking the old squad car?” the eldest Burns sibling had his question answered when they all heard sirens wailing and coming down the road they were in front of, and as soon as they heard the sounds the vehicles they would be driving came charging down past them with a robotic t-rex chasing them. “That’s why. I’ll explain later.” Charlie said to his children’s gawking expressions then floored it chasing after the robots.<br/><br/>“Guys, when we get onto the dirt road, hide in the tall bushes and turn everything off.” Cody said and the bots did without hesitation screeching away in different directions and then meeting back at the same shrubbery with everything turned off. If any of the bots needed to breathe, then they would be holding their breaths as they heard the dinosaur hissing and walking past them. Cody however did need to breathe so when the rex passed he let out a sigh and felt himself sink into Heatwave’s seat before hearing his dad’s old car park up in front of them. The boy felt the flex in his eyes disappear as he saw Kade come up to the fire truck. “Cody! You jacked my ride?” Kade asked sounding more than annoyed, but Cody tried anyway. “Listen, the t-rex likes lights. I think you should-” “Less talk. More action.” Kade cut him off and Cody could sense that Heatwave didn’t take to kindly to that, but was forced to bear it as he had his door closed.<br/><br/>Charlie came up from behind Cody and grabbed his shoulder pulling him back and away from the bots when they heard the t-rex stomping and coming up to them, when they turned around the robot was closer to them then they thought but Heatwave and Boulder were on top of things as soon as they had their riders with them. Heatwave blared his horn and drove past the rex to create a distraction and Boulder used his scoop to hold the robot back, “Woah! This machine almost drives itself.” Graham said as he tried to reach for the bulldozer’s controls but they kept on moving and adjusting to the means of their situation. When Heatwave turned on his sirens he got the t-rex to follow him again and drove off and away from the others, while that happened, Charlie ushered his son into his old car and then closed the door behind him. “Stay here son.” He then ran over to Chase and hopped in. When the bots sirens turned on they booked it to follow the others. Cody could feel his eyes burn and flex as he watched his dad drive away, he could guess his shift started back up again, but he also felt his scalp itch and his ears being pulled on. He guessed more of his shift was starting to show up. When he looked into the rearview mirror, his hair was snow-white, and his irises were blue while his sclera was purple and his pupils were white. His ears were pointed and black, and it seemed to be spreading, and when he smiled you could see small fangs. Cody was ecstatic but he had to keep his emotions under control for now because his family and the bots needed him.<br/><br/>In the sky with Dani and Blades, Dani was trying to control her helicopter again when it didn’t move to her commands. “Come on! We have to fly closer to the dinosaur or we’re useless. Cody, what did you do to our robots?” Dani didn’t expect an answer. “If you need them to do what you want, you have ask nicely,” Cody’s voice said through the shared com. “Cody, get off this channel. It’s for emergency responders only.” Kade’s words cut a little angered at Cody as the young boy felt his shift move forward just that bit more. If only Kade could see him now. Thankfully his dad had his back, “Pipe down Kade. Cody spotted the dinosaur first. For now, he’s on the team.” “Fine by me. Got any ideas, Cody?” Graham asked. “Not exactly, but I know someone who will.” Cody then went to calling Frankie.<br/><br/>After the call, and a plan was put in place, Boulder and Graham were getting a cage big enough to hold the tyrannosaur from the police house. Boulder simply punched down the wall and Graham used his abilities to move the cement roof off of the building and also moving the pieces out the way of Boulder’s feet so what the bot knocked down it wouldn’t trip or stumble over. Once they had enough room to move the cage all they needed to do was wait for Dani.<br/>Boulder was amazed at what Graham was doing, he watched the golem sharply move his arms and raise them into the sky, to then levitate the rock mixed stone and put it down safely. His arms were made of rock up to his elbows and his eyes glowed bright orange and green as he focused. Boulder wanted to talk to Graham so badly and ask how he was doing that, but he still had to keep up his act so he only watched in awe until he heard Blades coming over. “Preparing to lift the payload.” Dani’s voice said coming over Blades’s speaker. She dropped the winch down but it stopped a little over the cage and Blades and Boulder were wondering if something went wrong. That was when the iron cage started to move and levitate off the ground, Boulder turned to see Graham slightly taller now and his body covered more in stone, as he kept a focused expression on, and he made movements that lifted up the cage into the air and it then hooked onto the winch. “Good to go, Dani.” Graham said with a little dirt coming out from his mouth as he spoke. “You really think this will hold a tyrannosaur?” the cage then dropped and was now hanging by the winch, the bots guess was that Graham had dropped his control on the metal. “We’ll find out.” Dani said flying off with the cage and Graham shifted back to normal. “Robot, vehicle mode.” Boulder did as told and once Graham hopped in they went as fast as they could back to the forest. Boulder suddenly felt more assured than before that he was actually in good hands.<br/><br/>Back in the woods, Chief Burns was having the dinosaur preoccupied by having it chase him, and he could feel the electricity building up in his hands. He believed he owed Chase an explanation later because he could see that the bot was wincing on the monitor. “Chief Burns, may I request that you release your electricity before it fries my circuitries, it’s starting to sting a little.” Well, it looks like Cody took care of the explanation for him. “Sorry Chase, just nerves. Wined down your window and I’ll see if I could stun the dinosaur or at least make it mad.” Chase did just that and took control as Charlie leaned out the window and pointed two fingers at the rex in a finger gun pose. Charlie charged the electricity just that more and zapped at the dino’s feet and it succeeded in making it mad. “Keep him busy, dad. Dani’s on her way.” Cody’s voice came over the com and the father sat back in his seat. “Appeasing aim sir,” Chase complemented. “Thanks. Remind me later and I’ll teach you some lightning control, then you can do it yourself.” Charlie said then making a sharp right at the pit they were going to trap the dino in.<br/><br/>Kade used the water coming from Heatwave’s hose to make the dirt in the pit turn into mud, and he used a bit of his own water magic to add more for extra measure. Once the sea monster was certain it was more than good enough he wondered how they were going to get the rogue robot down here. He could guess he could shift and toss it, but he wanted to make sure. “Now, how are we supposed to get that thing over here?” Kade asked aloud before he was about to reach his com when a voice answered him. And it came from the firetruck he drove. “Thought you’d never ask.” Heatwave said.<br/>Kade immediately shifted into his more used comfortable position with a scream, his fireman suit and other clothing disappeared in a splash of water and what came immediately after was Kade’s form. His hair brushed back into a greasy spiky look and his skin turned blue with scales but his sides were orange. His ears turned into fins and he grew some along his back, he also split some gills along his ribs and neck. He grew a long dolphin-like tail and his feet and hands became webbed, and finally, he grew sharp piranha-like teeth and his eyes turned a glowing gold like a cat.<br/>Kade ran on all fours up the slope as Heatwave transformed in front of him and when they both got to the top of the pit Heatwave turned on his sirens to get the rex’s attention. It didn’t seem to work as the rex kept on chasing Chase and Chief Burns.<br/><br/>“I think I made it too mad,” Charlie commented as he looked out his window. “What now sir?” Chase asked.<br/>Charlie then saw how his son was in full shift next to Heatwave and it gave the father an idea. He might as well humor his partner and the bots as well as his family. “Chase, when we make the next sharp turn, I want you to open your door and throw me out with the momentum.” “What?!” the police bot asked sounding exasperated. “Trust me.” Chase looked at the thunderstorm spirit who had a stern expression and reluctantly nodded his head on the monitor.<br/>When the bot made the turn he did a half donut and made the chief fly out. Then he watched as a bright lightning bolt seemed to strike the chief mid-jump, what was next surprised, everybody. There hovering in the air was Charlie Burns, he was just as Cody described. His skin was glowing an electric blue, the hair atop his head was slowly swirling grey clouds and a ring of water was spinning eerily around his chest, and he was as blank as a mannequin, his clothes seeming to have disappeared like how Kade’s did. And when he opened his eyes, they were a solid pupiless white. “Hey rexy! I thought you liked lights,” Charlie said flying up a bit and making his skin glow brighter. The rex took the bait.<br/><br/>It charged at Charlie opening its mouth to bite down on the spirit, but before even the Chief could react, Kade had grown to an even bigger height that leveled the robot while he was on all fours and slammed into the dino. It now gave Kade its attention as it roared at the eldest Burns sibling, which the sea monster matched and bettered. Kade circled the dinosaur with a staredown until it was in the middle of him and Heatwave. Kade grinned and charged at the t-rex, slamming into it again and sending it right at Heatwave who caught it and flipped it over himself and into the mud pit.<br/>Both Kade and Charlie came over and stood next to their bots then heard Blades flying overhead and then saw Boulder driving up to them with Graham. “Incoming air support,” Dani said over the speaker, and then the cage dropped over the t-rex keeping it held in place as it thrashed about trying to get out. That was then Cody’s cue.<br/><br/>Cody slid down the slope and came up to the robot as it continued to thrash and hiss. “I hope Frankie was right,” Cody said standing in front of the cage. Cody found the robot dinosaur’s panel and opened it to reveal the off lever, he grabbed a hold of it and tried to pull it down to “off” as the t-rex kept on trashing. When the lever was halfway flipped the rex made one big thrash that smashed the lever against one of the bars, breaking it. Now it couldn’t be turned off and the rex was about to smash open the cage.<br/>Cody screamed and backed away as the cage broke apart, the dinosaur stood up steadily as it seemed to glare down at Cody and then stalk its prey. “Cody!” Kade shouted/roared as he tried to step down into the pit when his father stopped him. “No Kade! There’s too much mud down there. If you slip and fall into it, that would be your gills clogged and you would suffocate. Then we would have two people to save.” “I can’t do anything either, there’s too much mud for me to use my powers,” Graham said from beside Kade.<br/><br/>The one thing all of the Burns couldn’t deal with was mud. It wasn’t considered water so Kade couldn’t move it and that logic applied to Charlie as well, and it wasn’t considered earth because there was too much water so Graham could do anything, then Dani couldn’t do anything either because if she got mud on her wings they would become too heavy and ground her, and she needed to be able to move her wings because that was how she generated her magic as the same with all fairy’s even if she was just flittering off the ground it was enough to start up her magic.<br/><br/>Blades then landed, and when Dani jumped out, she was already shifted and in an orange and white flower petal dress with long pointed insect wings on her back. She flew up high to get a better look with an orange glitter trail right behind her and she could see that the t-rex was closing in on Cody as the young boy tried to back away. Dani flew back down to the ground with panic written in her voice. “I can’t get in there, there’s too much mud and I would get my wings splashed.”<br/>All of the older Burns’s couldn’t do a thing as they watched the dino advance on Cody. Kade couldn’t move the mud, and if he went in there, there would be a high likelihood he would get mud in his lugs from his gills. Graham couldn’t go down either, if he went full shift the mud would just make him sink and he also couldn’t move it. Dani would have her wings be too heavy to move if she got mud on them and she would have no magic to even get Cody out of there. And Charlie had a rule as a storm spirit he could not break even if he tried, he could physically not touch the ground while shifted, and the mud was still moist enough for it to make electricity travel, so if he tried to zap the robot he would also electrocute Cody. The bots were in the same boat as Graham, they would either sink or slip too much to be of help. They were all completely useless… and they could only watch as the dinosaur backed Cody up against a slope. Heatwave smashed his fists together with a gritted sneer and was about to jump down when it happened.<br/><br/>Cody, terrified for his life, made a last-ditch effort to try and save himself. He intentionally went full shift but it did nothing to slow the pursue of the rex. He was about to get mauled and he knew it, without even finding out what his shift was. He looked over to his family with tears in his eyes, and he looked up at the bots who had horror-struck faceplates. He looked up at Heatwave who only stared back with the exact same expression he owned on his face, utter terror. The bot then looked like he grew angry and was about to come down to Cody’s aid when the boy felt one last flex in his eyes as he looked at the firefighter bot more carefully, then feeling his body become weightless as he fell into an eternal ocean of memories and emotions.<br/><br/>The Burns’s were in shock, awe, and terror. Cody had finally shown his full shift, but he was also about to be killed by that walking scrap disaster. As the dinosaur made a move to bite, a bright cloud of light purple sparkling smoke enveloped Cody. And who sat there in the same position Cody was in just before was the fire bot, the same fire bot that was also standing right next to Kade.<br/><br/>The rex bit down, but the bot in the pit caught it by the teeth and shoved it back before delivering a right hook. That got the dino off him, now was the problem of getting out. He turned around and tried to scale the slope he was just being backed against but immediately slid back down, he was too heavy and he was starting to sink into the mud. He looked back up at the Burns’s to see if they could get him out, but all of them would have trouble moving the mud. Wait, how did he know that? Well, he didn’t have the time to dwell on it, there was action happening.<br/>When he looked at the bots his eyes landed on Chase as if asking him to come help, he was about to voice those words when he fell back into another deep ocean and let it wash over him. Who was standing there now was the police bot, and Chase could feel his spark jolt as he watched the lookalike. The rex got back up and made for a charge at the Cybertronian but the blue bot in the pit was one step ahead, he opened his taser’s and while coursing the electricity he punched the t-rex again, and that gave it an electrical shock. The tyrannosaur roared in pain and backed away a bit and that gave the police bot a chance to try and scale the slope again.<br/>…Wait, again? He hadn’t tried to scale the wall, Heatwave was just doing that. Speaking of the fire bot, where was he? The last he could remember was the crimson leader looking like he was about to ask him something from in the pit when… …no… Cody.<br/><br/>Cody had turned into Heatwave in a puff of smoke after he looked at him, and then he looked at him before he was suddenly down here. Putting the logic together, he wasn’t Chase at all, he was Cody! But then that would mean… this was his power?! He was a sort of shapeshifter?! He had Chase’s memories, but he was also struggling to keep his real ones in line. He could completely steal the identity of the bot if he wanted to… why was that the first thought that came to mind? That he was illegitimately making a crime? Why was he thinking like that? Well, it looked like he picked up on Chase’s personality too. But he had to make sure this was his, or rather, Cody’s power.<br/>The boy/bot guessed he was struggling for a while up the slope because the others were running around to him and the rex looked like it was recovering. Maybe try looking at Boulder? He could do some decent damage if the rex got to close. The bot looked at the running form of Boulder and felt the envelopment of memories again swirl him, when he blinked, what was looking back at him was indeed Boulder’s figure. Cody could feel himself smile and his spark start to shimmer but was then immediately swamped by Boulder’s memories making him hold his head. Okay note for future reference, when you see it coming, it hurts. He could see from the memories of Boulder that his family and the bots thought he didn’t have a good enough grip on his powers, so they were coming over to the side he was trying to climb out of too hopefully lift him out. Well, they weren’t wrong, he was struggling a bit in all honesty.<br/><br/>But he could fix this, if he just got the dino far enough away from him then he could just probably shapeshift into Blades and fly out, he wasn’t getting up the slope any time soon so why not give it a shot? The dinosaur was back up again and charging again, but this time, Cody had a plan. He caught the dino and then took a page out of Heatwave’s book and threw it over his head and spun to create some distance and it landing on the other end of the mud pit. He then looked at Blades and blinked again to feel he was in the leaner figure of the helicopter bot without even looking at his hands. He looked through the specific memories of Blades trying to fly but he copped a load full of his fear of heights and only very few memories because this was the first day Blades had ever even flown, but he decided to skip it. That was Blades, this was him. He quickly transformed into his alt mode and flew up into the air, he was out, now how did he steer? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bypass Blades’s memories, or was that his personality?<br/><br/>The family and bots from the ground were glad that Cody was finally out of the mud pit, but it looked like he was just staying in the air. Dani gave it a little thought but then realized that flying like a helicopter and maybe flying like a human figure were very different, so maybe Cody didn’t know how to steer. Her copter was bugging out earlier today anyway, she wondered if shapeshifting into machines was some sort of oddity to the brain where it couldn’t function like normal or there weren’t easy translations to be compared.<br/>The fairy flew up to the flying form of her little brother and stopped just a little away from his canopy, her father followed her up but stopped just under her as if to just watch, and for some reason, her actual helicopter followed her and was just above Cody. She swears if that thing knocks her brother out of the sky she will personally melt it down to turn it into a thousand pieces for jewelry and totems.<br/>“Cody! Can you hear me?” Dani asked. After a pause from the vehicle, she felt her chest begin to tighten. She tried again, “Can you even understand me?” her response was the canopy opening and then a voice not too dissimilar from her copter answering, “Dani! Sorry, I didn’t know how to speak through the outside loudspeakers so the best way I could think of was talking to you this way. I don’t know how well you can hear me over my engine.” Cody said in Blades’s voice. The real Blades was speechless and it showed on his monitor, he watched as Cody had turned into his team and now him. He wanted to help so badly but he couldn’t just knock him out of the air, the Burns’s would probably have his helm.<br/><br/>“I can hear you just fine little bro,” Dani said with the glee clear to hear and you could hear Chief Burns sigh with relief. Yep, this was Cody. “Okay, I’m going to try and get you down but I need to hop in. Just be wary of the real copter above you.” Dani said hopping into Cody’s cockpit and shifting back to normal so her wings didn’t get squished. “Oof! Oh, that feels odd!” Cody said when Dani sat down in his seat. “Are you okay?” Dani asked wondering if she hurt him, “I’m fine, it just feels like your sitting in my chest.” Dani patted his leather with a small smile and then took the controls and gently guided him down. From what Cody could see of Blades’s memories this was a first for Dani, as such, it made him feel confused. He was about to ask about it when he acknowledged that his sister probably thought he could feel it if she was rough if her just sitting in his seat was anything to go by. And if they hadn’t figured it out already, then he would still need to keep the bots secret a secret and not let his family know they are sentient.<br/>Cody felt a hand on his canopy and looked to see his dad was flying next to them with a soft expression of a smile. Dani could see Cody smile through the monitor as she gently landed him away from the mud pit where they could still hear the t-rex going nuts.<br/><br/>When they touched down and Cody opened his canopy for Dani to climb out and Blades landed not too far from them and transformed into bot mode then Cody following suit. The young boy felt the equivalent of being out of breath for a Cybertronian and just plain exhausted as he held his hands on his knees trying to still stand up. He then felt Blades help him up as he looked into his optics and could see the worried expression on his faceplates, all he gave the real copter was a tired smile and a thumbs up. He was alright, he just needed sleep in for tomorrow.<br/>“Cody?” Chief Burns asked floating in front of Cody’s face. “I’m fine, I just need sleep in tomorrow. Please?” Cody asked but sounding nervous at the end as if wondering if this would even qualify for a sleep in. His father and family only laughed clearly happy that Cody was going to be okay. “Sure son. Anything you need after a day like this.” The father then hugged Cody as best he could around his neck and the boy gently cupped his dad in his servos holding him there with a smile on his face.<br/><br/>When they let go, Cody let out a massive exhale and dropped down then in a puff of smoke, he was sitting on the dirt and back to normal but still in his shifted look. His skin was pitch black and his hair was snow-white, his ears were pointed and he had some small kitten-like claws on his fingertips. His sclera was purple and his iris was blue while his pupils were white and he had small little fangs as he smiled weakly up at his family and the bots.<br/>“Definitely worst first experience shift of the family,” Graham said looking up at Kade who nodded in agreement. He then shifted back to normal, “Yep. Cody may not beat me at a lot of things, but this he absolutely trumps.” Kade said smiling but it was one of sadness as he carefully watched his baby brother. “Well, we're not done yet.” Charlie said cracking his knuckles then opening a palm at the mud pit where they could still hear the t-rex. A massive thunderbolt of lightning then struck the pit and when it stopped they couldn’t hear the dino so they assumed it was over. “I’ll fill the museum in tomorrow.” Charlie said then smoothly shifting back to normal as his blue melted away and the water formed his clothes. “Robots, transform. I think we’ve done enough for tonight.” The rescue bots didn’t need to be told twice as they transformed into their alt modes and opened their doors for their partners to climb in.<br/><br/>Heatwave had opened both as he hoped Cody would ride with him, and the young boy seemed to pick up on this. “Dad, is it okay if I ride with Kade?” The father looked to his eldest who wordlessly got on one knee and opened his arms welcoming Cody in for a hug, but it was also hidden in the atmosphere that Kade was more than happy that Cody wanted to ride with him after all that. Cody smiled and jogged up to his older brother and hugged him before he jumped up and sat in the passenger seat of Heatwave. The firetruck closed his passenger door and waited for Kade to get in before he closed that too. Once both were in, Kade pulled his little brother close and hugged him to his side with one arm while the other was on the wheel, the seatbelts then seemed to automatically click them in but Cody’s was gently more tighter than Kade’s as he was also held close by Heatwave. The young boy smiled as he held a hand over the fabric that was over his chest and leaned his head on Kade’s shoulder as he could feel himself start to fall asleep. Kade gently rubbed Cody’s head like how their mother used to do to him when he was little and then started the firetruck up as they followed behind the others all the way back home. Heatwave’s monitor was on as he kept his optics on Cody while Kade drove, a small smile on his face.<br/><br/>When they all parked home in the garage Cody stirred awake and hopped out on his own. When everyone was out the bots transformed back into bot mode and Charlie had a camera ready in his hands. “Wait. I want to get a picture of my heroes.” Cody has heard that before. He watched as his elder siblings grouped together and he felt his shift give out, he completely dropped into his human form as he walked to the side well out of the way of what he assumed was the camera view. He watched from the side before his father looked at him. “All my heroes.” Cody gasped then smiled as Dani and Graham came over to join Cody. Kade stayed put though as he watched his family stand together, “Oh come on, dad. Just because Cody answered one rescue call doesn’t mean he’s part of the team.” Kade said crossing his arms. Cody could feel his chest tighten and his shift squirm its way to the surface as he looked at Kade and felt himself shrink into the family that was behind him, Heatwave saw this and was there to his rescue.<br/><br/>“Yes it does.” Kade screamed and shifted as he saw Heatwave talk again and step forward, “Or we’re not.” The other Burns teens gasped and shifted as well, backing away as Heatwave placed a servo on Cody’s shoulders. “Cody was our liaison on this mission. He’s the reason we’re even giving this place a chance.” Heatwave then came face to face with Kade. “Are we clear?” Kade shifted even more and looked to be readying his claws but then skipped on all fours and came to his father’s side. “Dad, did that thing just talk back to me?” Kade asked. “Something’s definitely wrong with the robots,” Dani said with her wings gently flapping behind her. “We can’t use technology prone to malfunction.” Graham said as he looked at his dad while crouching, trying to appear smaller to the robots since he would be at their hand height if he stood up. What Charlie said next would be remembered for centuries to come for the Burns’s because they had the evidence to prove it.<br/>“They’re not malfunctioning. They’re aliens.” “What?!” all the teens shouted while the camera took the picture of them.<br/><br/>All the teens backed away from the robots to the other side of the room. Dani took flight into the air to the back of the ceiling corner, Kade ran on all fours and jumped up to the support beams that held the house up above them, and Graham just backed away having more and more stone and rock cover him with each step.<br/>“Graham we're at home with the doors closed, you can go full shift. You know it’s not healthy if you keep it locked down.” Charlie said at his second youngest. Graham didn’t hesitate and went full throttle, almost just as how Cody described him, Graham was like a Cybertronian except made out of stone and dirt and was maybe just an inch taller than Boulder. Graham backed away until he hit the support beam and looked up at Kade who was just as terrified. “Dad! You had us riding in aliens the whole day, and you didn’t think to maybe warn us?! What if they crushed us or something?” Dani screamed as she flew behind Graham’s shoulder. Wow, and the bots thought they should be the ones to freak out before. “I’m more on the lines that Cody had shapeshifted into all four of them just earlier,” Kade said scooting closer to Graham from the beams. “Wait. Did Cody know?” Graham asked, his voice now incredibly deep.<br/><br/>Cody had never seen his siblings freak out this badly but he supposed he should answer them. “No, I found out. Boulder and Heatwave moved on stage when you guys were facing the crowd and everybody had their eyes on you guys.” Cody said placing his hands in his pockets. “Wait. Boulder and Heatwave?” Kade asked sounding confused. Heatwave stood forward, “That’s my name, Heatwave. Leader of sigma 17. And annoyingly your partner, Kade.” Heatwave said crossing his arms at the sea monster. “And, I suppose if we're making introductions, my name is Boulder. I have to say, what you can do Graham is really interesting. I wonder how you move the rocks on a scientific level.” Boulder said stepping forward and looking at Graham with a kind smile. Graham seemed to calm down at the bot's words and took a few steps forward toward the bot who did the same as they met halfway. “It’s nice to properly meet you I guess then Boulder. I thought I heard a butterfly freak out a bit from your direction earlier today,” Graham offered a hand out for a shake which Boulder took. “I hope I didn’t scare it so much then, Cody did mention you could talk to animals.” “Cody has already told you about us?” Kade asked now having Dani hide behind him since Graham walked away.<br/>“Yeah, he took us for a little walk around the tunnels and led us to above the town. He said that you could make something called the aurora lights Dani?” Blades said timidly walking forward. Dani slowly came out from behind Kade and hovered just in front of him to look at the helicopter she would normally be piloting. “I make an illusion of them. The real ones naturally accrue in really cold climates,” Dani said then making a small example by dimming the lights and having a smooth stream of the lights flow around her and the others. The bots seemed wary but the shifters lightened up at the colors and smiled, Cody even running his hand through it. Blades saw what Cody was doing and copied his actions and smiled at how much it tickled his servo, “Haha! This is actually really cool,” Blades said stepping forward a bit more in front of Dani and started to play in the illusion like a child. “Well, might I know who my copter is? And even then the person who essentially saved my little brother?” the fairy asked. “Oh, I’m Blades. Nice to meet you officially Dani.” The orange bot said offering a servo for Dani to shake, the paramedic slowly flew over and shook it. “And I would be Chase, Chief Burns’s partner. It was really a marvel to watch all of you today practicing your feats, I am heavily impressed.” Chase said smiling. “Remind me some time to give you those lightning lessons Chase. After I saw Cody clock the rex with your taser I figure you will be a good student,” Charlie said smiling up at the bot who started to look a little giddy.<br/>“Why would Chase need to learn how to control lightning? His taser works just fine.” Heatwave asked. Charlie was about to respond but Graham beat him to it, “you think where the only shifters on the island? Even if Chase would never use it, it would pay to maybe be prepared if he came across a shifter his way. And it would help him understand how magic works.” Graham then had the rock break apart and who walked out from the rubble was the human form of the second youngest Burns, when he jumped down he levitated the rocks and chucked them out the door along with any dust. “Exactly what Graham said. And I believe Optimus told me that you guys were in a war as well, if for some odd reason the enemy found you, magic could be a good evasion tactic. I expect the four of you to maybe have something useful under your belt just if anything were to happen, shifters or otherwise.” Charlie said. The bots could see it, if the Decepticons found them they would need a way to defend themselves and run, same for maybe any other monsters they came across. Surly the Burns’s weren’t the only monsters in disguise here. “We'll look into it Chief, got any suggestions?” Heatwave asked. “I’ve made one to Chase but I believe Cody could give you some others. Speaking of whom, I think should start to head to bed. Same with everyone else, we’ve all had enough excitement for one day. See you all in the morning.” Charlie waved to the bots good night and so did the others except for Kade, but he jumped down and shifted back to normal before heading into the lift and up to his room. He didn’t like this one bit, it was bad enough that they had to keep a family secret but now they have to keep an alien secret? Things just got a whole lot harder.<br/>And did his dad say a war?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Getting to know each other</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the next day around the afternoon. Cody had gotten up a few hours ago and was manning the calls coming in, but there seemed to be none as of yet, so for the time being he was just resting with Heatwave while in his shift with Blades and Boulder as they sat in a three-person circle, Chase was out doing patrols with Chief Burns so the police bot wasn’t there with them. Cody was laying on his stomach across Heatwaves seat with his communications pad/hoverboard in front of him, they were in the garage with the fire truck in his alt mode and the driver side door open so Cody could have a nice breeze. Blades was sitting down against the border of the two doors in bot mode and Boulder was in his alt mode parked next to Heatwave as they absently listened into whenever Cody reset his hoverboard for any calls.<br/>At some point Heatwave had made the offer for Cody to sit with him in his cab since it would be better than being on the cold floor, the young shifter took it wanting to spend some more time with the bots after last night’s fiasco anyway. The young boy was for now just flickering through the cameras around town seeming to be bored. Heatwave decided to bring it to his attention, “Cody? You’re not still tired are you? You seem to be falling asleep,” the fire bot asked. “A little, I just wanted to spend some more time with you guys, so when I woke up I didn’t fall straight back to sleep like I guess I should have. The atmosphere in here is nice and calm enough that I might be nodding off.” Cody said pressing a button to forward any calls that might come in to go to his dad and he rested his head on his arm. “If you need more sleep I don’t mind you taking a power nap here, anybody in your position would be walking dead on their peds.” “Peds?” Cody asked looking at the bot through his monitor. “He means your feet Cody,” Boulder said from next to them. “Oh, umm yeah, your feet. Sorry, I’m going to have to get used to referring to different body parts for you humans or… shifters.” Cody smiled letting the bot know it was okay. “It’s okay to say human Heatwave, we're not really a different species after all.” The fire truck responded by using his seatbelt to gently pat Cody’s head when he got an interesting response. Cody started vibrating.<br/>The bots all looked at him in confusion. “Uh… Cody? Are you starting to shapeshift into one of us again? Because I think I can hear your motor,” Heatwave said. “What? Oh! No-no Heatwave I was just purring, some types of shifters purr when their happy or relaxed and I guess I do the same.” Cody said putting the bot at ease. “Really?” Heatwave then started to pet Cody again and the boy leaned into the touch continuing to purr. Heatwave smiled on his monitor as he watched Cody start to slowly fall asleep, and the vibrating he could feel from his seat made him start to feel a little tired too. “Aww,” Blades said watching Cody, he found the picture in front of him to be very cute. Specifically Cody.<br/><br/>Everything was interrupted when Chief Burns contacted Cody and that snapped the boy and bots out of their trance. Cody quickly answered the call to see that his dad and Chase were in pursuit of a Robo-landscaper, “Attention, rescue team. Robo-landscaper, out of control.” The alarms in the firehouse went off and Cody jumped back so he could make room for Kade. Once Cody sat down Heatwave immediately strapped him in and held him close to his seat, now the process was just waiting for the actual fireman. Cody could hear his siblings coming down the pole but then coming to abrupt stops and then hearing a set of footsteps run towards the landing circle, that had to be Dani running up to Blades but he could hear Kade and Graham slowly walk up to their partners.<br/><br/>The two older brothers of Cody just clung to the sides of the driver side doors but seemed reluctant to actually step in. “Could use a hand here. Where you at, Burns family?” Chief Burns’s voice said coming over Cody’s hoverboard. “Um, might be awhile, dad.” Cody said knowing that this was not going to go anywhere fast. “It’s just too bizarre. They’re alive, but we’re supposed to ride inside of them?” Graham asked. Cody could see it, but after literally turning into each of the bots themselves who at first thought that they could fry them from the inside out, it was hard to relate directly to it anymore.<br/>“Don’t be a wimp, Graham. They’re just vehicles.” Kade said looking at his younger brother. “Hey, can hear you, you know.” Heatwave said not sounding amused in the slightest. Cody grabbed Kade by the shirt and pulled his brother in, then Heatwave immediately strapped him in and they quickly drove off so the fireman wouldn’t have time to complain. Cody could feel the flex in his eyes happen again as he looked at his brother, he must have scanned Kade or something. Well, he dropped out of his shift before he could find out properly and he could hear Boulder coming close from behind them which meant Graham had gotten in on his own.<br/>Up on the landing pad with Dani and Blades, the fairy was already in the helicopter's cockpit and she tried to control the bot but was met with the grindings of gears from his controls. “Ugh! Hurry up, Blades. We have to go.” Dani said looking at the bot through the monitor. Blades wordlessly took off into the sky but was being cautious about it as he slowly followed the others who he knew he should have had a head start on. He wondered if Cody turned into him, then Dani would be giving him this much aggression. It didn’t seem like it the first time he turned into him, but that was what? His first time using his powers? Maybe if they were ever caught in that situation again things would go differently.<br/><br/><br/>Over with Chief Burns he and Chase had followed the rogue robot down an ally, the police bot started to roll slowly as they glared at the scenery of the stone buildings with seemingly no sign of the robot they were just after. “No sign of the suspect, what now sir?” Chase asked through his monitor when his question was answered for him as the blades of the rouge bot came sawing after them from behind. “I’d advise you to hold on sir,” Chase said when Charlie beat him to it. “No. I’d advise you to hold on. Do what you were about to do Chase, but be prepared for lightning. Back up, now!” Chase was extremely perplexed by this but didn’t exactly question it especially after last night’s situation when the man literally asked him to throw him out of his cab.<br/>Chase revved his engine and reversed up to the dangerous bot fast, Charlie hoped out and sat on the bot’s door with the window down with his legs still on the inside of Chase’s cab as he used one hand to hold onto the police bots roof. Chase followed through with what his original plan was, just when he was about to hit the rogue robot he transformed and flipped backward's over the bot and created some distance, and when he landed what came in sync with his ped’s hitting the concrete was a thunderclap and then Chief Burns in his full shift flouting beside the rescue bots shoulder.<br/>Chase looked at his not-so-human partner with a glow of shock for a second when his attention was then immediately brought back to the rogue bot. The rescue bot jumped up and landed on the back end of the landscaper and when the front of the robot jumped up Chase caught it by the bars before its blades and held it in place, like jumping into a rake but catching the stick before it hit you in the face. “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you.” Chase fought with the robot for a bit and was about to toss it into a dumpster not too far from them when Charlie flew in front of the robot's underbelly and placed both hands on it zapping it dead instantly. Chase had let go before the electricity had reached him but he would be lying if he said that his spark didn’t race a bit in the moment. Charlie had moved out the way before the robot could attempt to squish him and once he was sure the near-death machine was out he floated next to Chase’s leg and shifted back to normal. “And you will not be compensated for any damages,” Chace said pointing at the fried robot. That’s when they heard the fire truck sirens coming in close and Blades flying overhead.<br/><br/>Dani had landed on the roof of a building next to the ally way, and when she hopped out she looked over the edge to see that the robot was charred and destroyed and Chase and her father standing next to each other. “We missed it, didn’t we?” she asked leaning on a small brick wall. “What kept you all?” Chief Burns asked. Cody immediately knew where Kade was going to go so he quickly jumped out of Heatwave’s cab. “Our rides wouldn’t let us drive. They’re slowing us down,” Kade said when Heatwave then immediately transformed into bot mode and squished the fireman against his windshield. “Fast enough for you?” the fire truck asked smugly. Cody called it.<br/>Kade partly shifted and started scratching at Heatwave’s interior and actually hitting him rather hard on his glass as he panicked. “Let me out!” the sea monster yelled as he tried to claw his way out of the alien bot. Chief Burns looked at Heatwave with crossed arms and that was enough of a cue for him to get the pain out. The fire bot transformed back and kicked Kade out but left his door open for Cody to jump back in which the young boy did happily but avoided the scratched part of the cab because he could assume that would sting if he sat there.<br/>Kade stood up from being tossed out onto the sidewalk and fixed his helmet while shifted back. “Never again.” That could work for the fire bot, he would more than happily take Cody as his rider any day of the year.<br/>Chief Burns spoke. “Look, I know we’re all adjusting to being a team, learning about each other, but it’ll go a lot smoother if we work together.” Then came Kade’s bitter filled response. “I signed up to rescue people, not make nice with machines.” Kade then turned around and looked to start walking home.<br/>The monitor in Heatwave’s cab then came on as he looked at Cody, “These humans don’t even realize they’re on a team. And ow.” Cody looked to be right when he thought that Heatwave would be sore from having Kade claw at him. “Don’t worry Heatwave, I’ll talk to them,” Cody said blowing a bit of his hair out the way when he realized it was still white so he dropped out of his shift. “But let’s go home and get you fixed up; I have a remedy in my room that should fix this.” Now this was why he liked Cody over all the other humans.<br/><br/><br/>Once everybody had gotten back to the firehouse, Cody had healed Heatwave’s cab with the remedy which the young boy was glad to know worked with the bots, but he then went to find Kade and talk to him, and he found his older brother in the kitchen pulling out a popcorn bag. “Hey Kade, can I pop that for ya?” Cody asked from the doorway behind Kade seeming to give his older brother a fright. Once Kade realized it was just Cody he handed his little brother the bag but with a skeptical look as if he was waiting for the hatchet. “You know, it’s pretty amazing you get to be partners with an alien,” Cody said while pressing a big red button on the bag which instantly popped all of the popcorn with a timer ding, then passing it back to Kade like a basketball. “Oh yeah, amazing, I have to ask my ride to roll down my own window,” Kade said with sarcasm getting where the hatchet was now. What Kade said made the personality of Heatwave in Cody feel a little annoyed, he did just claw at the bot earlier and nearly smash his windshield. But Cody pushed that away, he wasn’t about to have another identity crisis.<br/>Kade walked past Cody and to the stairs for the hallway that lead to his room, but as he started to climb the stairs Cody had recovered from what Kade had said to him. “But you and Heatwave have tons in common he-” Cody was cut off. “It’s not a ‘he’ Cody. It’s a truck.” That made Cody feel almost ticked off at Kade. Saying that was like saying Graham was nothing but stone and rock. Oddly enough though a growl came out for Cody’s mouth, but it was Heatwave’s normal sneer. Cody immediately covered his mouth at what he just did and Kade noticed it to. “Oh right! We still have to get you checked out, maybe go talk to dad, he might need a reminder.” Kade said then walking the rest of the way to his room. Cody could feel his natural powers were going to start becoming a pain if he didn’t know what he was and soon, there were tons of different types of shapeshifters all varying in strength and power. Some made illusions, some could take memories. He wondered where he fell.<br/>With Kade out of the option, he moved on to finding Dani.<br/><br/>Cody had found his sister climbing the rock wall outside and had begun to talk to her while she scaled it. “And back home, Blades had wheels. He never flew until he came to earth.” Cody said watching his sister. She paused to look back at her brother, “So that’s why he’s so bad at it,” then continuing to climbing. “Plus, he kinda hates heights,” Cody said meekly feeling the Blades in him surface a little too quickly for his liking as he shied away in the fluff of his jacket. And wonderfully enough, he could feel the flex in his eyes happen again as he watched Dani. “Blades is my partner? He’d better learn to love ‘em” she said then ringing the bell at the top. Cody let slip a nervous whine that Blades would normally do and Dani heard it clearly.<br/>She transformed into her shift and got out of the harness and flew down to Cody to make sure he was alright. “Are you okay?” she asked. In Blades’s voice, Cody answered, “I think I need to see Doc soon; it’s getting a little harder to keep my identity out of the mess of the others.” Dani understood and she agreed, she didn’t want a mismatched brother with multi-personality disorder.<br/><br/>Cody went to go see Graham last and found him working in the garage on a console for the lift that took the bots down to the bunker.<br/>“Boulder is crazy about earth; he wants to soak up everything he can,” Cody said from sitting atop the console while Graham worked under him and passing him tools on occasion. “And I’d love to learn about his planet's tech,” Graham said receiving a wrench from Cody. The boy smiled; he was finally getting somewhere with Graham! And he could also feel the flex in his eyes tense as he looked at the sibling born before him. “See? You’re the perfect team, you can teach each other-” Cody became interrupted again. “Cody. Boulder is an alien from a highly advanced society, how am I gonna teach him anything?” Cody could feel the Boulder in him wanting to talk to Graham but he was too slow to stop in before it left his mouth. “Cybertron was actually very metallic, had hardly anything like plant life on it, that’s why- Ack!” Cody stopped himself by grabbing his neck. Graham sat completely up from what he was doing and checked over Cody to see what was wrong. “I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s just been hard to keep what feels like the bot's opinions out of my head.” Cody said running his hands through his hair. “Maybe you should go and talk to the bots for a bit then. At least that way their personalities wouldn’t try to override yours because you’re with them, and I’ll go tell dad.” Graham said then closing the console and walking off.<br/>Cody definitely needed to spend some time with the bots, it seemed his shift was always at ease when he was with them. And he needed a break.<br/><br/>Down with the bots, they had their main monitor up with Optimus’s on the other end of communication as Heatwave talked and his team stood behind him in line. “This isn’t working Optimus. Our partners don’t want anything to do with us,” Heatwave said walking from one side of the room to the other and stopping in front of Chase. “Actually, Chief and I get along quite well.” the police bot spoke making Heatwave growl at him. One out of four isn’t exactly favorable.<br/>“How are we supposed to complete your mission to ‘help humans’ if they won’t let us?” The fire bot asked. “I am certain you will find a way Heatwave. Remember, learning to communicate with humans is also part of your mission.” The prime responded. “My partner communicates loud and clear, especially loud.” Blades said holding a servo over his left audio processor, he was sore in not just his controls anymore. Boulder who was next to the helicopter then spoke “well, Cody has been trying to help us fit in.” “Then, take guidance from Cody. I have found that the young of this species are the most valuable allies.”<br/><br/>Just as the prime said this, the door to the room they were in opened with said little shifter stepping in. “Guys? Whoa! I didn’t know the bunker had a secret room,” Cody said walking up to the bots to see another one on the screen they were standing in front of. “Whoa, who are they?” Cody asked sounding amazed. Optimus spoke for the rescue bot’s, “I would assume you are the very Cody Burns?” the prime asked watching Cody from the corner of his screen. Cody shifted in an instant and gave into his shifts natural instincts, he skipped to all fours and leaped up to Heatwave’s shoulder, he felt far safer there and it also gave him a better view of the bot on screen.<br/>Optimus was surprised at what he saw and oddly enough smiled and chuckled a little, surprising the rescue bots a bit. It was heavily known that Primes never showed any dramatic emotions or on the better lines- ‘Primes never party’ so it was a surprise that he reacted to Cody like this. “My best guess is that the Burns family are shifters?” Cody nodded in response. “You know what shifters are Optimus?” Heatwave asked sounding surprised. “Yes, the humans whom my team have bonded with are also shifters. As a friend put it, it seems monsters and aliens find a way to seek each other out. Tell me Cody, what exactly is your shift?” the bot asked. “Not sure yet, but we think I’m a really strong shapeshifter,” Cody responded, leaning against Heatwave’s neck cables.<br/><br/>The fire bot himself lifted up a finger and gently started petting Cody’s head when the boy grabbed it and held it close to his chest almost like he was hugging it. Heatwave smiled at this as he felt and heard Cody begin to purr again. Blades awed at the scene again, and Boulder looked like he wanted a go at petting Cody to as he looked at Heatwave, and Chase who hadn’t seen this sight before was confused but also smitten with the way Cody curled around Heatwave’s digit.<br/>“I believe after you have sorted things with your human partner's Heatwave, you and you’re team are entitled to a visit of where our base is. There are a few bots and humans I can think of who would love to meet you and the Burns’.” Heatwave immediately perked up at that notion, he would love to see how Optimus’s team functioned, and he could guess the Burns’s would like to be able to meet more shifters outside of Griffin Rock. “Once we do get things sorted Optimus, it would be an honor.” “Then I will leave you to it. Cody, thank you for helping the rescue bot’s, and please do right by them.” Optimus asked.<br/>Cody looked at Optimus and the prime could see the young boy’s eyes gleam blue for a second before the boy stood up on Heatwave’s shoulder and smiled before hopping off behind the fire bot and doing something that wowed every bot that could witness it.<br/>A massive purple plume of smoke spiraled Cody’s body, the rescue bots backed up slightly as the boy grew taller and taller past their height until he stopped and the smoke brushed away to reveal Optimus in the room. “I will, I’ll do my best” Cody as the prime said. Optimus was wordlessly wowed at what the little boy seconds ago just did, as were the rescue bot’s with their jaws open wide. Once Optimus got over his shock he chuckled again and Cody then turned back to normal in a puff and landed back on Heatwave’s shoulder. “I am very glad to hear, and cannot wait for your arrival. Rescue bot’s, good luck.” And with that, the prime cut the connection.<br/><br/>All of the bots looked at Cody as he sat on Heatwave’s shoulder. It really did surprise them all that the little human could transform into their leader, it could maybe help them later down the line if they needed more muscle. “As cool as that was Cody, I’m gonna have to ask ya not to do that too often. If we ever need the extra muscle then we’ll let you know.” Heatwave said using his finger again to pet the boy. Cody could understand, the Heatwave in him made him really get the idea of how odd it would be if he turned into the prime too often. “Works for me, Optimus’s form is a lot harder to hold up anyway then compared to you guys’.”<br/>Blades then gently took Cody off from Heatwave’s shoulder and cupped the boy in his servos as the others looked over the helicopter's shoulders. “How did it go talking to your siblings?” Blades asked then watching Cody deflate from his happiness. The young shifter sighed and then perked himself back up for the bots, “New plan. Kade, Dani, and Graham don’t know you like I do, right? So, you just need to bond.” Cody said then Heatwave asked, “What does ‘bonding’ entail?” Cody jumped off Blades’s servos and stood in front of all of them. “It’s basically getting to know each other. I mean, you guys got to talking when you found out you were all going to be in a class together when Cybertron was still around, it’s just like that except with us,” Cody said trying to draw parallels for the bots.<br/><br/>“Wait, how do you know that?” Blades asked suddenly sounding shocked that Cody knew that about their lives. “Well… so far that I know of a part of the type of shifter I am can let me transform into somebody, and also have their memories, as well as their personalities and experiences. So when I looked at you guys and transformed into you last night, I was also having a sort of identity crisis because I legitimately thought I was you guys. So that’s how I know about your memories and even the first time when Chase introduced himself to you Blades from both points of view.” Cody said that last part giggling. Both Blades and Chase looked at each other in surprise and Boulder and Heatwave laughed a little remembering clear as day their first day in class, how Chase came over to Blades to try and introduce himself but because not all of the coding from Chase’s previous job was taken out yet along with simply having the nerves, he ended up talking extremely fast and the pore to be helicopter bot couldn’t understand a word. After a lot of attempts to try and talk normally and being laughed at, Chase essentially shied away back to his seat when Blades made a proper introduction later. It was a funny memory to say the least but one Chase could do existing without.<br/>“So you know about as much as us when it comes to things like Cybertron, and you also know about all of our pasts before we became rescue bots?” Boulder asked sounding a little intrigued. Heatwave though, flinched. He didn’t exactly come from the humblest of places, and it was a past that he wanted to remain buried. Cody though already knew this, “yep! Though I know it’s not my business to say anything about your personal stuff. So I won’t mention anything like that.” That immediately told Heatwave that Cody knew, but wasn’t going to say anything. If Kade in the end didn’t want him as his fire truck ever again, he would gladly ask Cody if he would fill in his seat. He already had a lot of respect for Cody and it only kept on growing and he could tell the same went for the rest of his team.<br/><br/><br/>After they had moved on. Cody was bringing his older siblings down in the elevator to the bunker, when they got out Kade was the first to complain. “<em>This</em> is the amazing thing we had to see? The bunker? We’ve been here 1,000 times.” In truth, the bunker was where they used to practice with their shifts, but now that they have a good enough grip on them compared to when they were kids they don’t have much of a use for the big space now. But they still have a good majority of their old items down there such as things like video games, and tools they used to use to practice their powers.<br/>A massive tunnel that was actually a slide was to the far side of the bunker wall, it traveled down into an air pocket that Kade used when he was younger. When he dived into the water what was on the other side was his own little safe space, only he could access it because it was too far for a normal person to be able to hold their breath for and his other family members still wouldn’t be able to get down there. Dani would get her wings wet and heavy if she tried swimming at all, and Graham would start to solidify into mud if he dipped himself into too much water for too long, and their dad couldn’t even dip himself in water that was already on the ground so in a short he couldn’t go swimming in his shift.<br/>Dani had a fairy house hung up against the wall down here that she used as a kid to practice her magic in, it was her sort of workshop in a sense and also a place where the rest of her family couldn’t access just like Kade’s air pocket. She had another one hanging up in her room, so she didn’t need to come into her workshop through this one down here anymore, but they were the same place because they were connected, same room, different door sort of deal.<br/>Graham used to have a whole lab where he practiced his natural skills in a corner but he had long since cleaned it out. What used to be there were a lot of plants and different forms of rock like sand and dirt, and sometimes bugs he occasionally captured but then let go once he could hear them screaming to be let free.<br/><br/>“Not in years,” Dani said walking up to an old toy she had left down here and then hugging it. “Oh I used to love to play down here. Remember when you got lost in the tunnels Kade? When you tried to copy Graham?” Dani said laughing the last part. Back when Kade was still a kid it didn’t click to him yet that only some certain types of shifters could do some certain types of magic naturally, otherwise you would have to study for it. So one time around when Graham had discovered his shift, Kade had tried to move some rocks in the tunnels but ended up becoming lost. Kade shifted his teeth and bared them at his sister in a silent sneer.<br/>Graham then walked up to an old pinball machine and looked back at his siblings. “Wonder if I could beat my old score.” He then started the game with Dani and Kade watching as Cody backed up to where the bots were hiding.<br/><br/>“You’re on.” He whispered to the bots who then began to mutter amongst themselves on who should go first when Heatwave pushed Blades forward making the decision up for them.<br/>When the copter bot stumbled into view he wasn’t exactly graceful so he got the teenager's attentions. “Hi.” Blades said realizing the awkward position he was put into; the young rescuers weren’t exactly thrilled at the sight of the helicopter so they made their own sounds of shock or annoyance. “Don’t freak, I invited them to. I thought it would be cool if we all hung out together, you know, just the 8 of us.” Cody said waiting to see what his siblings would do.<br/>Kade shifted just a little further with his skin turning blue and fins growing under his ears as he was about to walk away when Cody stopped him. “Come on Kade, what are you afraid of?” that made the eldest teen stop but he crossed his arms in annoyance. Cody knew just how to bend his siblings into some situations, and playing on Kade’s pride was one way.<br/><br/>Cody then looked up to Boulder and gestured him to go on and have a look. The bulldozer bot grinned and rushed forward a bit to get to the pinball game Graham was playing, the teens backed away surprised but were slightly relaxed again when he turned around. “Is this an earth game? May I try?” the green bot asked and Graham came to the other's rescue as he took responsibility for his partner. “Sure…” he said a little unsure but walked forward, “you pull this to start.” He said gesturing to the spring at the front. “Be very gentle Boulder, you don’t want to break it.” Cody warned being able to see where it could go if he maybe didn’t jog the bots sense. Boulder nodded and tried as carefully as he could to pull the spring and he got the game to start. “Graham, think as if you were playing this game full shift and how much you would have to dial back. That’s how much Boulder has to hold back constantly, so maybe try to be mindful?” Cody said talking to Graham but the teen had his eyes glued to his alien partner, he did acknowledge his little brother's words though.<br/><br/>As those two hit it off, Cody took Chase to the side since he was the odd bot out, and he let the rest of his siblings talk to their partners.<br/>Blades had made cue cards to help him that he had researched were good conversation starters, and Dani had perched herself in front of the bot with her stuffed animal as she watched him. Blades pulled out his first card and read what was on it, “Lovely weather we’re having today, isn’t it?” “Perfect for flying,” Dani said watching the bot's expression contort into something of dread. What was she expecting him to say? –‘Your right! Let’s go out right now!’ nope! Over his exhausted spark. “Or not.” Blades said then quickly looking at another card once he saw Dani’s expression change as he dodged her response. “Uh, do you have any hobbies?” he asked. “Making charms and totems.” Wo! Now they were getting somewhere.<br/>“What are charms and totems?” Blades asked taking an interest, it sounded like it would have something to do with magic and if the copter bot was honest the very idea of magic interested him. “Charms are basically magic jewelry. Accessories that do certain things when put on. Like making you look different is common, or even making you smell nice. Those are a few that I’m working on. Totems are normal items that are traditionally set up around the house but you can make them a combination of a charm or with a charm making whatever effect they do stronger.” Dani explained. “So for example if I wore one it could maybe change my paint color?” Blades asked. “Yep! You got the right idea.”<br/><br/>While those two were talking Heatwave and Kade actively avoided each other. They both sat against the same wall but around a corner. Kade didn’t exactly want to interact with the fire bot, but he also didn’t want to come down here for nothing. So he wordlessly got up and walked over to a few water fountain bottles and opened them, he then made a flow of movement with his arms and the water smoothly streamed out, he might as well get some practice in then sit and do nothing.<br/>Kade got into a stance and closed his eyes, completely letting the atmosphere and the sense of the water judge where he stood. He made slow movements but with elegant form, and each drag of a movement made the water flow in that direction. It looked like a martial art from what Heatwave could see, and that was what made him watch aside from the flouting water. What the leviathan sea monster did made everyone stop and stare as the bots marveled at the seemingly impossible act.<br/><br/>Chase kneeled down closer to Cody but didn’t take his optics off Kade. “Cody, what exactly is Kade doing? Is that the water-mancy you told us about?” the bot asked. “Nope, what Kade is doing is a type of martial art that involves the use of water-mancy called merilliea. I guess since Kade isn’t talking to Heatwave he might as well use his time wisely in practicing.” Cody guessed. “Maybe Heatwave could learn from Kade this martial art. This would be something that would catch his attention if it hasn’t already.” “We’re talking about the same bot right? Because I think Heatwave would rather be run over by a cement truck then ask lessons from Kade. You have to learn how to actually do the magic first before doing the fighting, and we don’t even know yet if you guys can do magic yet. We know it works when we use it on you, but we don’t even know if you can cast it yet.” Cody explained. Chase nodded and then put his focus back on Kade.<br/><br/>Heatwave had gotten an idea to see how Kade will react. He lifted up his arm and sprayed a little bit of water from his knuckles at Kade. The water got caught into the pull of the already existing water with ease, and after a few seconds Kade opened his eyes and grinned and then shot some water back at Heatwave who got splashed. “Ah!” the fire bot jumped a bit, Kade laughed a little but went right back to practicing. “Okay hotshot. Why don’t you and I go a few rounds? You’re fighting water vs’s tons of heavy metal and fist.” Cody immediately put a stop to it knowing what Kade will do having fallen for it a few times himself.<br/>“Hold up Heatwave, water-mancy is control over all elements related to H2o. That can include things like ice, and he can even change the weight of the water. So your -‘tons of heavy metal’- will be met with an ocean's worth of water that could rip you in two. I’m warning you now, don’t indulge him.” Cody said stepping in between the two. Mistake one on Cody’s part.<br/>Kade then splashed Cody a little with water making the young boy go full shift immediately with a high-pitched cat scream. Cody bolted to all fours and zoomed back to Chase hiding behind his leg and starting to shiver as his clothes became entirely soaked, Kade could also control the temp of the water so he could make it scalding hot, or ice cold. “Kade!” Graham and Dani yelled at their older sibling who only shrugged and got back to what he was doing. “Cody, are you okay?” Chase asked looking concerned, he was responded to with a sad and weak mewl. Heatwave came over and immediately pulled the little boy up and close to his windshield, just cupping him and gently petting him with one finger.<br/><br/>Dani flew up and the other bots quickly gathered around Heatwave to check on the little boy and Graham jumped up to Boulder’s shoulder. “You okay little bro?” Dani asked trying to get close to her little brother as best she could without hitting her wings. The response she got was a sad trill. “Okay, I’ll go and bring the heater down and some dry clothes for him along with a towel,” Dani said then flying up to the house. “And I’ll do this.” Graham said looking at Kade then making four thick pillars of cement trapping the oldest from where he stood catching him off guard. “Hey what the-!” Kade shouted. Heatwave grinned, served the jerk right. Cody squad- 1, Kade- 0.<br/>When Dani got back she had what she said she would bring and flew down close to her little brother. “Heatwave you can hold him if you want, but can you please sit down with him so he can be closer to the heater?” the fire bot nodded and sat down with the little kitten shifter, and the rest of the bots joined sitting in a four-person circle. Cody had taken his shirt off and was now wrapped in a towel as he sat in Heatwave’s hand and in front of the heater. As the boy sat there he was gently patted on the back in circles making him purr and the bots once again became hypnotized at the sound, it was so cute and the way how Cody just closed his eyes made it all the more adorable.<br/><br/>After a while, all the bots and Burns, minus Kade, were sitting in a circle just chatting as Cody got warmed up, the little boy was eventually passed to Blades who wanted to hold him, and for now, he was just sitting there leaning on the bots neck as he snuggled with a fluffy blanket and Blades would every so often reach up and pet him.<br/>Until the emergency alarm went off. Cody jumped off of Blades’s shoulder and ran up to the monitor they had on the wall of the bunker, he switched it on and his dad came on screen. “We have a situation on Main and Park, sewers overflowing…” “So call a plumber.” Dani said. “…with lava.” As the chief said this an explosion went off behind him and a geyser of lava sprayed up into the monitor view along with car horns in the background. “This could get ugly pretty fast, I need the whole team out here.” The Burns teens didn’t hesitate, Graham shoved back down the cement pillars holding Kade and Dani came out of her shift as they all ran towards the elevator. The bots stood onto the platform to be lifted up, and that left Cody alone in only a few seconds. Why did this have to happen? It was so nice while it lasted. “Cody,” his dad said as he saw his son unnoticeably come out of his shift with a frown on his face but then perk up at his name. “Get on the command center com-link, your siblings will need some help working with their partners.” Cody smiled and shifted back again, then running up to the fire pole and climbing up it like a lizard.<br/><br/><br/>When Cody got to the command center he kept an eye on Chase because he was without a rider as he drove to where his dad was. When the bot arrived he left him in his dad's hands and then switched over to Dani and Blades and he could already hear them fighting, at least before he got them sort of familiar with their partners so it wouldn’t be awkward riding in them.<br/>“Ooh!” Dani growled frustrated at the copter bot. “Can you be a little more- ow! -Gentle with that,” Blades asked clearly feeling the pain from his control stick. “Ugh! As soon as you learn how to fly.” Dani said trying to pull Blades up higher. Cody then came over the com, “Dani, be nice, remember?” he asked watching from a camera above Blades’s monitor. Dani sighed, having to be reminded by your little sibling sometimes makes you feel annoyed at how dumb your being. “Blades, buddy, I know this is hard for you but you can do it.” Dani said in a comforting way seeming to be heading in the right direction before it took a sharp turn. “So do it already!” she then shouted and both Blades and Cody cringed, so much for that.<br/><br/>Cody then switched to Graham and Boulder who were putting up blockades to stop the lava. As Boulder put down the last wall he looked back to Graham who was checking things over on his screen. “Do you think this will be enough to hold the lava?” Boulder asked looking back down to Graham. “Oh you’re right, it must seem like such a primitive solution to you,” Graham said as if maybe trying to think of something better they could do. “Graham, Boulder’s not dissing you. He’s trying to help, but you got to tell him what you’re thinking first.” Cody said before turning his attention to an explosion that should have been close to Kade’s location.<br/>A manhole had erupted next to a gas station and the place started to catch on fire when Heatwave rolled up and transformed to put out the fire. He was beaten to it by Kade who had come up with his old fire truck and was putting the fire out with it, “I got this covered, you can move on partner.” Kade didn’t seem too happy in saying out the partner part, he was still sour about this whole situation. Heatwave seemed to take that to mind and turned to leave when he heard Cody come over the comm’s, “Hey, you have to work together.” “No time for chitchat Cody.” Kade said flicking his commlink off his collar. Heatwave was honestly starting to debate if he could maybe talk over with Cody about maybe him just shapeshift into Kade then he could be his partner that way, from what the eldest of the Burns has shown Heatwave, he was very quick to brush off Cody and seemed to almost give him no respect. Just because they weren’t on the scene, doesn’t mean you don’t listen to somebody who’s trying to save whatever you have for a hide. Heatwave pulled one last sneer before walking off until he heard an explosion.<br/><br/>Kade had parked over a manhole that had yet to erupt and was standing close to it with his truck when it exploded. Kade had gone into a form of his shift where he still had clothes on, but he was in the comfortable spot of his shift, so his fire gear did do its job in not letting him get burnt but his body was able to heal quicker from the force of the blast, but that did leave him unresponsive for a bit.<br/>Cody panicked, he had heard the explosion from Kade’s comm and was trying desperately to reach his older brother, “Kade! Kade! Are you okay? Kade!” Kade’s comm was then melted as lava started to seep out of the sewers and began to quickly surround Kade. “Heatwave!” Cody called to the bot, “on it!” the firefighter bot said already turning back the way he came to get to the sea monster. When he got there, all it took was a massive dump of water and the place started to become smoke and it also helped Kade come back a little sooner. Once Heatwave had passed Kade with his water pumps, the shifted sea monster spat out the water he had taken in his lungs and turned to watch Heatwave putting the rest of the fire out. “Your welcome… partner.” Heatwave said doing a mock salute. Once the fire was out Heatwave looked to Kade to see him still in his shift and seemingly struggling to get off of all fours and he also seemed to be in pain, thinking quickly he transformed into his alt mode and opened the passenger door for Kade who quickly hopped in to not make a show.<br/><br/>Kade slumped down against Heatwaves seat and tried to stretch his back into place but all he could do was sharply hiss through his teeth. “What are you waiting for? turn back,” Heatwave said looking at Kade through his monitor. “I can’t, if I’m injured in my shift let’s just say turning back is considered a horrible idea.” Kade said. “What?” the bot asked, not getting it. “Use whatever you have for a brain, are shift is a completely physical transformation that can have internal organs and bone change shape entirely. So if I’m injured, when I try to change back, the place of wherever hurts has to change back to, and that can irritate it, causing it to become worse than what it was before.” Kade explained managing to sit up. Heatwave felt a little concerned at that moment, should he be bringing him to Dani then? “Should I get your sister?” the bot asked. “No, while in my shift I do have a decent regeneration. I’ll be okay soon, just need to sit for a while. You go on ahead for a while, I’ll just be here.” “Just don’t claw at my interior again.” Heatwave said before starting up and driving to the next fire he could see while comm linking Cody, “Cody, I’ve got Kade with me. He says he’s fine but just needs to rest for a little.” The bot could see Cody nod before he heard another voice come in, that being the chiefs. “Cody, we’ve cleared out most of downtown, but the lava won’t quit. If we can’t plug the leak soon, I’ll need you to send out an island-wide evacuation order.” That wasn’t good.<br/><br/>Cody sat firm and calm though, as he wanted to exhaust all options first. “You’ve got it dad, but let me call someone first.” Cody then cut the communication to the others and called up the island's lead scientist, “doc Greene, you there?” Cody asked. The screen buzzed to life but something was up, or rather, down. The doctors face was upside down for Cody on his screen, he hit the monitor a few times to see if it would adjust itself to get a bug out but the doc canceled his thought. “Do not adjust your monitor, I’m upside down over here too. I’m testing my theory that I can solve equations faster when all my blood is collected in my head.” The doctor said using an inversion table to flip himself upside down. “Doc, is there a volcano on the island we don’t know about?” Cody asked cutting to the point. “No, but there is one we do know about Mt. magma, built for the world’s fair of 1939. That’s when they invented deep-fried cotton candy. You see, the sugar fell into the hot oil and-” “doc, how could a fake volcano spew real lava into the sewers?” Cody interrupted. “Well, the volcanos fake, but the lava isn’t. When Mt. magma was moved here, the engineers sunk a pipe deep into the earth’s core.” The doc said using a note pad to draw an example. “Pent-up pressure in the core could push lava back up the pipe, but the top of the volcano is sealed, so the lava would come out wherever it could like the sewers. The pressure would keep forcing lava out until it covered our whole island. Uh, that would take about 4.7 hours. Ah, shaved a full second off my calculation time. Hanging upside down really does work.” The scientist said holding a stopwatch.<br/>“Doc, this is for real.” Cody said. Doc Greene then flipped back up and addressed the young Burns properly, “then you have to get rid of the lava pressure immediately.” The scientist then grabbed a soda bottle off from the side and shook it a bit. “Think of the volcano as a giant fizzy bottle. To get rid of the pressure, you open it a little at a time. A small, controlled eruption should take care of your lava problem, but don’t open the lid fast or-” the bottle then erupted and the doc became drenched in the drink. “If that then does happen, you would need Kade to shift quickly and sprint to the ocean to get enough water to hold the lava back, and maybe for safe measure, get your father to make it rain. Speaking of him, he called earlier to tell me that you finally discovered your shift, congratulations!” the doc said. “Thanks doc, once this is over, I think I’m in need of a check-up.” Cody said smiling then hanging up.<br/><br/>It was soon sundown, as the sky was only a mix of pink and dark blue. The bots had gathered around the last erupted manhole and were placing the last of the blockades in, Graham had made more rock erupt from the ground behind them for good measure just in case they overflowed or there was a leak. Kade had hopped out a while ago and did his best to put out the lava with his water-mancy, but the hot conditions made it so the water in the air would evaporate soon and then they would have to rely on Heatwave. Dani and Blades lifted the blockades to them and the chief was trying to gather his power to start some rain if the situation called for it.<br/>Chief Burns came up to the bots once the blockades were in and the lava secure for this manhole. “All right team, I just got off the comm with Cody. He says we can stop this lava, but we have to erupt a volcano to do it.” As the man finished Blades landed not far from them and let Dani hop out of him before he transformed to look at the chief. Nervously, Blades asked, “and that’s the safest option?” “It’s the only option.” The chief responded. “I won’t lie- things might get hairy. If the volcano goes off too fast, we could get caught in the lava. And we might have to pull up a lot of noticeable water magic to deal with it, that could put us all at risk of being discovered and found out.” He then walked over to the group of the bots that had huddled together, “I’ll understand if you don’t want to be part of this mission, it’s dangerous. Griffin Rock isn’t your home.” “If you go, we go.” Heatwave said speaking for the others.<br/>Graham stepped forward, “You’d risk your lives for us?” he asked. “That’s what being partners means.” Boulder said. “Wherever there is an emergency, there are there are rescue bot’s ready to serve, save, and protect.” Chase said. “We didn’t have the chance to save our home, we won’t let you lose yours.” Blades said. “Glad to have you onboard,” Charlie said then turning to his kids. “But for this plan to succeed, we’ll all have to put aside our differences and work together as real partners. Understood?” he asked. Dani and Graham nodded then turned their heads to Kade, the eldest stalled for a bit then looked up at Heatwave who only looked back with a blank expression. The sea monster firefighter nodded and partly shifted to show his eyes and sharp teeth in a grin. Dani followed suit and shifted to having pointed ears and her piolet suit turning into her orange and white orchid petal dress, leaving her wings as she didn’t want to squish them. Graham had rock begin to cover his skin and his eyes turned blue and green, he grew a little in height as well. Charlie had a few bolts of electricity dance around him and his hair started to gently float up. Cody had heard and seen everything, his eyes turned purple and his hair turned white as he smiled.<br/><br/>After a bit of checking to make sure they had all the manholes covered, the rescue groups all disbanded into teams with Cody watching over them. He turned his attention to Graham and Boulder as the two were heading up to the top of the volcano, when they neared the top Cody spoke into the comm center’s mic, “you're almost there guys. Boulder, I’m sending you a schematic of how the volcano works. Graham, keep your sensing of the rock's temp on, if it gets too bad you need to get yourself and Boulder out of there.” Cody said.<br/>The prints came up on Boulder’s monitor so Graham could see, “hmm, yes I see.” The golem said taking a look over the screen. “Graham, you have to tell Boulder what you’re thinking.” Cody reminded his sibling born before him. “Oh right. Sorry,” Graham apologized, “okay from this diagram it looks like the volcano’s ‘on’ switch should be inside the mountain nearby.” He said then having them pull up and hoping out. “But, I don’t know where exactly.” He said looking around. “That’s where I can help,” Boulder said then slamming his scoop into the ground and a sonar sounded out, “found it.” Boulder said finding where the controls were. “Woah, seismic imaging? I had completely forgotten that technique!” Graham then stomped his foot on the ground and the earth shook a little, but Graham got back the exact same position the controls were. “I’ve got it, but there’s a lot of rock and dirt in the way. let’s get to work,” Graham said smiling at Boulder then moving the dirt out the way so Boulder could see the rock. The bulldozer smiled on his monitor and got to digging up the rock.<br/>Further down the mountain on some of the main roads Chief Burns and Chase were coming up to a campsite where a few people were set up, “head back to town please. It’s about to get hot around here,” the people started to complain, but the chief knew that some of these people to be shifters so he showed his glowing white eyes and that made them all get the picture. Suddenly there was a lot less resistance. The chief blinked and his eyes went back to normal when he then turned to address his police bot partner, “some of those folk were shifters, you’ll find that when shifters want to change freely and don’t want to be seen they often head to secluded places, that could be a helpful tib-bit to know if we get a forest fire. Be prepared for a spooked shifter of that’s the circumstance.” Charlie told as they started to walk to another camp. “Some of those people sir?” Chase asked sounding confused, “shifters can have a relationship with non-shifters, in fact, my wife was completely normal. So other relationships can happen like that to other people, and obviously, you wouldn’t really want to keep a secret as big as that hidden for long, so those people you could make a good assumption in guessing they know about the shifter community.” Charlie explained. “Your wife?” the bot asked not understanding what that was. “I don’t know how it’s done where you're from Chase, but it takes two people of the opposite gender to make a child here. So my wife is what you would call the human female I had my family with, and she would be my kid's mother or mum, like how they call me dad.” “So with that logic, there should be another female in your family along with Dani?” “Yes.” “Where is she then?” “I believe Optimus referred to it as being a part of something called the all spark?” “Oh… I am terribly sorry sir, I won’t bring this topic up again,” “Don’t worry about it Chase, but I will warn you about bringing it up with my kids. They still take it hard that she’s no longer here with us.”<br/><br/>Kade and Heatwave sat on a ledge of the volcano just down a bit from its mouth, both of them finding the situation boring and awkward, neither of them speaking only letting out a bored sigh. “What’s going on Cody? When do we get to see some action?” Kade asked. Cody looked to see where Blades and Dani were on the monitor and found them moving right on schedule, “Blades is moving into place now.” Cody responded.<br/>Blades flew over the top of the volcano to where Boulder and Graham were, then hovering over them to drop his hook which Boulder caught and attached to the control lever. “Blades, we’re attaching you to the switch for the volcano’s lowest setting. When you fly up the volcano will turn on and blast out the lava, get clear as quickly as you can.” Graham said over his comm, Dani responded. “Blades and I have it from here, shoo you two.” She said waiting to see them get out of range. Boulder transformed into his alt mode and Graham climbed in before they drove off and far out the way.<br/>Blades flew up and flipped the switch then reeling back in his hook. As the volcano opened Dani and the copter bot were happy that this was going nicely so far until there was a loud boom. “We did it! Now let’s just get out of-” Dani was cut short and gasped as the volcano made a loud eruption, they didn’t expect it to have that much pressure even at the lowest setting.<br/><br/>Smoke and ash plumed out of the volcano as Blades began to panic, “I can’t see!” Blades panicked as he began to spin out. “Blades go higher we have to get out of this,” Dani said trying to pull the copter up herself. “Which way is higher?” Blades asked panicking even more. Dani managed to stabilize the bot paramedic but it was clear he was still all over the place, Dani groaned in frustration as she tried to do it manually herself, “Dani, talk nicely.” Cody reminded his sister over the comm. “I know, I know.” She said back. “Blades I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, I know you can’t see, but I can read your instruments clear as day.” Another blast made Blades scream, “Ah!” “I’ll guide you, you’re right-side up. Just take us as high as you can it’s okay if you go slow,” Dani said. “Here goes nothing.” Blades said quivering then swooping up, once he was clear of enough smoke he caught a glimpse of clear sky and made a break for it, getting them out of the volcano’s way. “You did it Blades!” Cody cheered over the comm. “I did it Dani, I did it!” Blades cheered himself when he and Dani heard a thud coming from behind them. Blades seemed to blush on his monitor as he looked up at Dani, “um, excuse me. I think my rotor just hiccupped.” Blades said apologizing. “It must be the ash. We better take you down.” The copter then landed on a ledge not too far from the volcano but just far enough so it was safe to observe.<br/><br/>Around the side of the mountain where Heatwave and Kade were, the lava began to flow down towards them and the two firemen were at the ready with hoses. As the two began to hose down the lava, the chief spoke to Kade through the comm. “How’s it looking Kade?” he asked. “This lava isn’t going anywhere.” Kade responded. “Good, Chase and I closed all the mountain roads just in case. Sounds like crisis adverted team.” Charlie said over the comms. “Way to go everyone! I’ll be waiting for you in the bunker.” Cody congratulated them then sighed off from the center comm and made his way down to the bunker.<br/><br/>Dani and Blades stayed atop the ledge they were parked on and through a pair of binoculars Dani saw something that made her gasp. “That’s weird,” she commented. “The lava’s disappearing.” “Wasn’t that what we wanted?” Blades asked, “Not like this.” She then reached for her comm, “uh, you guys? The lava over on my side is draining into some sort of hole in the rock.” Graham and Boulder had reached down to Kade and Heatwave when Graham spoke with a quiver of fear in his voice, “Oh, that’s not a hole. It’s a tunnel.” “A tunnel? Like the ones that all lead to the firehouse bunker?” Boulder asked, Graham swallowed thickly and nodded. “Wait a minute, the lava’s flowing towards the bunker?” Heatwave asked now getting the situation. “But that’s where Cody is.” Kade said now sounding a little panicked, and it showed as he began to shift a little.<br/>Heatwave tried his comm to see if maybe the kitten kid stayed in the comm center, “Cody, Cody can you hear us?” with no luck the fire bot turned back to the others. “Must be offline and underground by now.” Kade then marched up to Graham now mad as he growled, “why didn’t you warn us Cody might be in danger?” Graham now struggling under the stress a little began to shift a bit with his skin turning to dry and cracked clay, “I-I didn’t know, there’s no tunnel on the schematic.” Graham said. Kade partly roared/groaned in frustration as he shifted further. “We’re supposed to be heroes and we can’t do anything!” Kade yelled slashing his claws at the air. Heatwave then transformed behind the sea monster into his alt mode, “we can do plenty if you stop complaining and get in.” the fire truck said driving up next to Kade and opening his driver side door, Kade still wasn’t entirely happy having to sit with the sentient truck but he begrudgingly complied hopping in. “Graham, are there any other tunnels near here that intersect the path of the lava?” Heatwave asked. “I don’t know, none of these diagrams are up to date.” Graham then had an idea, but he’d need a visual showing of it. “Boulder, I’ll need a screen of this, can you map the tunnels below us?” the bulldozer said nothing but quickly transformed and slammed his scoop into the ground sending sonar waves out. Graham then spoke into his comm, “Dani we’re gonna need water, maybe we can cool this lava and slow it down.” “I’ll see what I can do.”<br/>“Wait, then do you need Kade out?” Heatwave asked. “No. I wouldn’t be any good, there’s hardly any water in this air, I would need a source.” Kade said shutting that idea down quick. “Found it,” Boulder said putting up a map on his windscreen. “Okay here’s the lava, if you take the tunnel below you might have time to stop the flow before it reaches Cody. But you have to make it to this crossing before the lava does.” Graham said using the map on Boulder’s window. “We will.” Kade said before they drove off and into the tunnels below.<br/><br/>With Dani and Blades, the fairy paramedic had spotted a water tower but it was too far to walk to with Blades’s rotors being at risk of freezing if they flew, and the air still had too much smoke in it for Dani to fly. “I see a water tower but there’s no way we can get there on foot.” Blades then started up and began to fly to the tower. “whoa up Blades, oh no we can’t fly in this ash it might freeze your rotors.” Dani warned gripping the copters controls ready to turn him around. “And it might not, if it means helping Cody it’s worth a few hiccups. Excuse me in advance?” the copter asked meekly. “Anytime partner,” Dani said then controlling Blades forward.<br/><br/>Back with Kade and Heatwave, the fire truck sped down the tunnel as Graham spoke through the comm. “The intersection should be straight ahead.” Kade read the map they had and he could see how close they were, Heatwave could see it too and sped up making the tunnel rumble and shake with his engine. They then had to come to a halting stop as a slope of rocks blocked their way, “no. No, no!” Kade shouted as he threw open the driver’s side door and ran up to the rocks on all fours, he used his tail and claws to swat away at the rocks but it was taking too long. “We’ll never get through in time!” Kade was about to bulk up a bit more to maybe be able to push more rocks out the way when Heatwave spoke, “Get in.” Kade did as asked and leaped back to Heatwave on all fours. Once the sea monster shifter was in, Heatwave closed his door he reversed up a bit then began to rev his engine. When Kade realized what the bot was about to do he braced himself just in case he needed to use his water-mancy and the bot crashed straight into a rock wall. Heatwave then drove full speed into the rock wall and plowed through it like a wrecking ball, when they got a bit of distance past it Kade asked, “how did you know that would work?” “I didn’t” the fire bot responded. “When we get this all over, you'rere entitled to some water-mancy lessons. That was stupid but awesome,” Kade said with a smirk. Heatwave grinned back.<br/>When the two drove through the intersection, Kade jumped out and Heatwave handed him his hose line. “Like Graham said, if we could cool down the lava we can stop it from reaching Cody.” Kade said aiming the hose and beginning to put out the lava. “Not if it just keeps coming.” Heatwave said doing the same with his knuckles.<br/><br/>The two firemen had to back up as the lava progressed, “the lava’s moving too fast.” Kade said backing up. He then heard a clang as Heatwave’s ladder had hit the ceiling, they were now only a few feet from the door to the bunker. “Good as place as any to stand our ground.” The two kept it up for a bit keeping the lava at bay and managing to push it back just slightly when suddenly Heatwave’s water gave out. “What happened?” Kade asked. “We’ve exhausted my water reserves.” Heatwave told him. That made Kade’s stomach drop, it was too hot for him to use his water-mancy and without Heatwave’s water as a source he was as good as useless. Kade grit his sharp teeth in anger.<br/>“Go, save yourself.” Heatwave told him. Kade looked back to the steel door, you couldn’t open it from the outside where they were, but if Kade went close to near his comfort level he could rip the door open. Kade looked back at Heatwave and had a plan in mind, he would open the door, get the water he needs, then come back to help. Kade leaped to all fours and practically rammed into the door except he was repelled, he bounced back from a white aura shield surrounding the door. It then hit him as hard as that door, the door was made out of steel mainly, but it had just that sliver of silver mixed in it, which meant it had magical properties. Silver was used in a lot of magic for long-lasting items, the door was magic so in case shifters tried to get into the firehouse.<br/><br/>Kade grew a grin on his face as he began to scratch a few what looked like kanji and runes in the door with his claws, it wasn’t a direct bashing so the door didn’t repel him as much. Since this door already had magic running through it, all he had to do was cast another spell on it. Or in this case scratch, he wasn’t as versed in magic as Dani, only the ones that tied to water-mancy. He then ran back to Heatwave’s side and got on all fours, now with a new plan in mind.<br/>When Kade had actually ran, Heatwave couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that he was going to die here alone, being melted alive non the less, how ironic him being a firefighter bot and what his original purpose was. But when Kade then came back he was confused, did the shifter have a plan? “Heatwave, when I go full shift I want you to grab onto my neck and sit on my shoulders. Things are going to get a lot hotter.” Kade said looking up at the fire bot. Heatwave nodded and stood back to maybe give Kade some room, the guy was about to grow as big so he could sit on him. …Wait, did that mean he was gonna ride Kade like some sort of horse? Well he didn’t have time to think on it.<br/>Kade shifted to his more comfortable level that wasn’t going full throttle, but was basically a smaller version of what he looked like doing that. Kade looked like a sea dragon, a sort of leviathan. With a long crocodile-like snout and fins for ears, he had another set of arms under his main ones and a long fished fin dolphin-like tail. Kade kneeled down so Heatwave could hop on, when the bot managed to climb on he almost felt a sense of power, wondering if this was what Kade felt like when he shifted this far or further. Heatwave had to lay flat against Kade’s back so he didn’t get squished against the ceiling and he hugged his arms closely around Kade’s neck just under his gills.<br/>Kade backed up slightly before throwing his head down and a massive flood of scalding hot water came out of Kade’s mouth, he couldn’t control his water-mancy as well in this state, so he opted to breathing it like a dragon instead. That one flash flood was enough to put out the lava that was immediately in front of them but it was still coming. Kade had used the water that was in his body to do that, if he did it again he would be severely dehydrated so there was only one more option. Kade’s hide was tough enough to survive the trenches of the ocean and withstand geyser blasts, at worst this was going to give him second-degree burns if he was quick. He then ran toward the lava and his limbs splashed the lava, Kade let out a pained screech but kept on running.<br/><br/>“Ah! Kade what are you doing?! Stop! You’re going to really hurt yourself,” Heatwave screamed as he clung to Kade tightly. The sea monster ignored his partner's pleas and kept on sprinting until they got to the hole that Dani saw and Kade leaped out of it with Heatwave still on his back. Kade clumsily skipped to a stop and tumbled as the pain began to become too much when he landed on his feet. He came to a crashing roll, accidentally sending Heatwave flying off him and flinging him a little distance away, “Kade!” Graham yelled as Kade laid on his side with his limbs in front of him. Boulder ran over to see if Heatwave was okay and thankfully the bot was unharmed thanks to Kade, “Ugh, oh Kade! Where’s Kade?!” Heatwave panicked when Boulder managed to wake him a bit out from the daze he gained. The bulldozer bot looked back behind them and all Heatwave could see from his angle was the sea monster breathing heavily and facing away from him, Heatwave jumped up and ran over to Kade’s head to see the leviathan awake but gritting his teeth, his hands, back legs, tail and underbelly were raw and he could smell burnt fish.<br/><br/>“Dani! Forget the water, we need you over here now! Kade ran through the lava while in his shift,” Graham cried into his comm. “Wait, is Heatwave there to?” Blades asked worriedly. “I’m here Blades, but Kade is the one with the worst, you need to get Dani here like yesterday.” Heatwave responded into his own comm. “Dad, we might need your own water-mancy to either help heal Kade or put out the lava.” Graham said into his comm again. “Got it. Chase, forget the speed. Put metal to the pedal, this is an emergency.” They could then hear the police bot’s engine roar as it sounded like he definitely sped up.<br/>Kade then grunted as he began to sit up. “Woah! No, no, no Kade. You’re hurt, you need to lay down.” Graham said shifting a fair bit to grab a hold on his brother. Heatwave pitched in by using his hose as a lasso and pulling Kade back down by the snout, the sea monster didn’t resist to greatly, probably because he was tired from running through lava and breathing water in a way that used the water in his body as a source.<br/>They then heard Blades flying overhead and he had a water tower with him attached to his hook that he dropped onto the hole Kade climbed out of, it put the lava out that was there so no more would come through, and when Chief Burns pulled up with Chase, he used his own water-mancy to push the water down further to put the rest out. Dani had jumped out of Blades beforehand in her shift and charged down to her older brother's aid. He was healing okay by himself but with Dani’s help she would make sure his body didn’t scar, as she healed him he began to shift back and fall asleep until he was back to normal.<br/><br/>Heatwave sighed in relief, oh how that could have been a close call, he just hoped the chief put the lava out before it reached the bunker. Blades then landed not too far from him and transformed then immediately ran up to the fire bot, “Heatwave, are you all right?” the medic asked. “No warping or burning?” he asked looking him over, it was mainly standard procedure to make sure Heatwave really was okay after maybe having the equivalent of an adrenalin rush. “I feel fine Blades, no thanks to Kade.” Heatwave said then looking down at his unconscious partner.<br/>“Well, this looks to be over finally. Dani, I want you to ride with Heatwave so it doesn’t look like he’s driving without someone. Blades you can fly by yourself, and I’ll take Kade in the passenger seat.” Charlie said picking up his son. Heatwave stepped forward though, “chief, if it’s okay I wouldn’t mind if Kade rode with me anyway. I can keep him secured to my seat.” Charlie looked to think it over a little before he looked at Dani, “Dani, would it be safe for Kade to be with Heatwave?” “As long as me and Blades stick close just in case something happens.” Heatwave nodded completely fine with those conditions then transformed and opened his passenger door so Kade could be placed there. Charlie gently raised Kade up so Heatwave could grab him, the fire bot stretched his seatbelts out and used them to gently lift Kade the rest of the way into his cab then buckling him in and making sure he was secure. Once that was done he started up and began to drive back to the firehouse, “I’ll see you back at the bunker after Kade is in bed, I want to still make sure Cody wasn’t hurt.” The truck said. “Will do. Once we’re certain things are wrapped up here we’ll join ya.” Heatwave then drove off with Dani climbing in Blades once he transformed and the three headed back to the firehouse.<br/><br/>On the ride Heatwave’s mind began to wonder about what happened. First, he basically rid on Kade like another bot would on a dino-bot, and second, the guy had ran beforehand then came back. What did he do? He thought he heard a bit of a crash but he was to focused on the lava to really look back, did the door do something? But now that he thought about it, his mind did recall to when Dani was talking to Blades about charms, maybe that door was like a big charm. You definitely wouldn’t want someone who’s a shifter to come rob your home, because they could just climb the firepole or something then they would be in the Burns home. So maybe Kade did something that guarded the door then came back, it was the second line of defense from reaching Cody before they had to leave. Heatwave decided to ask Dani about this, she seemed to be the one who was the most versed in magic.<br/>“Hey Dani, I have a question. That door that was before the bunker, was that an example of a charm you were talking about to Blades?” Dani answered, “yes, that would be an example. The type of charm that door runs under is that it works like coding a computer. You code a certain spell into it and the door will automatically activate it under the circumstances it’s been given. All the doors that lead to the bunker down there are charmed to repel attempted break in’s so any kind of attack would be bounced back since you can only open it from the inside. Why?” “Because I think I heard Kade try to ram it then he got bounced back, I didn’t see it thought, I was to focused on the lava.” Heatwave responded. “He was probably trying to get into cooler air so he could bring water back in to help you, or he could have used the water he was practicing with earlier.” Dani said. Heatwave hummed in acknowledgment before looking back to Kade who was still asleep. “How long until Kade would be fully healed? I can still see some wounds on his body.” He asked. “If we dip Kade into the bath he’ll heal up in no time, the more water he’s around the stronger he is and the stronger his abilities become. So his healing will be increased and if I throw a potion in there for good measure his scars will heal over to, it will be like nothing ever happened.” Dani said putting Heatwave’s mind at ease. “So you’ve fixed him up for the time being until he’s in the water?” he asked. “Yep, just doing my job as the paramedic. Think of our firehouse as the hospital for shifters, don’t get it wrong though, it’s sort of considered a necessity to shifters to know how to make healing items, like knowing how to cook. So you’ll find that shifters can take care of themselves and if they can’t they come to me for help,” Dani said and Blades could see her smile. “So your sort of like Griffin Rocks shifter doctor,” the copter bot said. Dani giggled at that and nodded her head.<br/><br/>Before long, they had arrived back at the firehouse and Heatwave opened up his door so Dani could take it from here. “I’ll come back down to you guys once I’m done with Kade.” She said shifting and then actually managing to lift Kade up bride-style and then fly up the firepole. Heatwave and Blades both transformed back to bot mode then looked at each other, they hopped onto the lift that took them down to the bunker to find another Heatwave looking to be doing some air sparing then in a plume of purple smoke stood Optimus following through with the same moves. They instantly knew it was Cody and sighed that the kid was okay which Cody didn’t miss.<br/>He turned to them and smiled before in another cloud of smoke stood the kid back to normal and in his shift. He skipped up to them on all fours and leaped up to Heatwave’s shoulder then nuzzling along his jaw. “Hey guys you took a bit longer than I expected, was there more lava to clean up?” Cody asked. “Yeah, you could definitely say that.” Heatwave said running his servo along the other side of his neck. “I could guess, lava even nearly made it down to the bunker,” Cody said surprising Heatwave and Blades. “Wait what?! How did you know about that?” Heatwave asked. “I heard a noise come from one of the doors and when I opened it lava started to flow in, I quickly turned into you Heatwave and did my best to keep the lava out but then I turned into Kade and used water-mancy to put out the rest of the lava when a wave of more water came down sort of flooding the bunker. I used water-mancy again and put the water back outside and then I turned into Graham and used his abilities to get the cooled lava out, then I turned into Dani and fixed the place up. I think I did a good job, and then while I was still waiting for you guys to show up I wanted to see what it’s like to spar as Heatwave and then I tried it as Optimus and well… you guys then came in.” Cody said turning sheepish when he then realized he was rambling. Blades then remembered that they had camera’s down here, they could see for themselves.<br/><br/>“Hang on, I just remembered that we have camera’s down here. We could see from Cody’s hoverboard.” Blades said looking at Heatwave. The fire bot turned his head to Cody who got the jest and hopped down to grab his board, when he came back he was flying on it and landed back on Heatwave’s shoulder, then turning it into screen mode. When the screen buzzed to life it showed the position of the camera that looked over the whole floor of the main bunker, who was kneeling in front of the pin ball game in the corner was Cody as he seemed to be tending to it after Boulder was a little rough with it earlier. There was hardly any audio but the bots could make out that Cody heard something as he suddenly looked up from what he was doing and looked around to have his eyes land on the bunker door. The young shapeshifter walked over and opened the door to then have lava start to flow in the room. Cody seemed to do that sort of cat thing where they jump up high maybe doing a flip before sprinting off, he jumped up high in a fright, shifting in the process, then ran on all fours in front of the lava before in a plume of purple smoke stood Heatwave. The bot started to put the lava out as best he could with what looked like a lot of water pressure, but if it was one thing the real fire bot learned, it was that the more water pressure he was shooting the quicker his tanks were going to empty. But Heatwave could tell that Cody was just trying to get the lava to stay in one place and not spread further, so he could assume the kid knew, but still, regardless, he ran out of water soon.<br/>When Cody in the footage realized this he then in another cloud of smoke turned into Kade in the sea monsters more comfortable progression of his shift, he then started to use water-mancy and created a water gun that quickly pushed the lava back until a flood of more water came down the tunnel, putting out the lava entirely. Cody, still as Kade, seemed to look around confused then began to relax, dropping to the floor to sit. He then looked around again and realize the mess, using water-mancy again, he lifted up all the water off the floor and began to direct it outside where he dropped it and left it to evaporate. Then turning into Dani and in one flash of lightning and glitter the bunker looked as good as new, the cooled lava was gone from the floor and the burn marks were gone to. Cody after turning back to his shift, looked over his handy work then closed the bunker door. He looked around again and then seemed to realize something, or what the two bots could recognize was him getting an idea. Cody in the footage then transformed into Heatwave and seemed to start practicing some stances when he then shot some water out of his knuckles and it started to move on its own, or, it was being controlled. Cody as Heatwave was doing merilliea, he dragged and swayed his movements with the water and even did some kicks and punches, this went on for a bit before he moved the water back up his knuckles and presumably back into his water reserves, then continuing to do merilliea but without the water. That was when Blades and Heatwave in the footage came down the lift, Cody then transformed into Optimus and started practicing stances as well, when the real bots looked to have a wave of relief fall over them Cody looked back to them and then transformed back into his normal shift. And the rest they knew.<br/><br/>“You were practicing merilliea as me?” Heatwave asked looking to Cody who was still on his shoulder. “Yeah, I wanted to see if you could perform it since I got the knowledge from Kade. And it works! So maybe you don’t have to go to Kade about water-mancy or merilliea, I could teach you.” Cody said smiling at the fire bot. “I’d like that Cody, if Kade becomes hard to understand at some point.” Heatwave said smiling back. But Cody became confused. “Kade said he would teach me water-mancy when we were down in the tunnels, if he becomes hard to understand at any point I’ll come to you.” The fire bot explained, Cody knew that was a guaranteed thing to happen at some point so he nodded back in agreement.<br/>Dani then came back down and flew up to the others, “well, Kade’s in a remedy bath and is healing nicely, we just have to wait until he wakes up.” Heatwave sighed glad to know that Kade was going to be okay. They then heard Boulder and Chase coming down with Chief Burns and Graham, “how is he?” the chief asked. “He’ll be fine, just need to wait for him to get up.” Dani said. Charlie sighed, “that’s a relief. Well I think it’s safe to say to call it a night, everybody is bound to be tired after that.” Everybody nods in agreement and Dani and Graham start to head to the lift but Heatwave stops chief Burns. “Chief, I think your gonna want to see this.” Heatwave said handing him Cody’s hoverboard screen. The chief looked it over and had a shocked expression for the time that the lava came in but it then turned into pride as Cody dealt with it. By the end, Charlie was very happy with what he saw and he looked up to Cody who was still sitting on Heatwave’s shoulder. “Very nicely done Cody, but I do have a strong feeling that it’s because of your shift that you knew what to do,” Cody only shrugged, not too sure himself. “Well, we're going to go see doc tomorrow to see what you are. I expect to see you in bed soon, good night.” “Good night.” Cody said as he watched his dad head to the elevator which had Dani and Graham waiting for him.<br/><br/>As they went up, Cody hopped off Heatwave’s shoulder and looked back to the bots. “I’ll see you guys in the morning, and then we can start practicing on some magic.” Cody said smiling. Blades looked giddy and so did the others as they were excited to learn what they could do.<br/>Cody skipped to all fours and instead of waiting for the lift to come back down he climbed up the fire poll almost like a chameleon. Blades came over to watch Cody climb up as he also wanted to try and see what their house was like from where he could see, Heatwave saw this and wondered what the copter bot was thinking. “Blades, what are you doing?” the fire bot asked, “I want to try and see what I can of their house from here, I’m really curious to what it’s like.” Cody stopped climbing when he heard this. “I’m kind of curious to, I bet it’s a bit homier than down here.” Boulder said walking up next to Blades to try and have a look. Cody then slid down and stopped at their eye level, “if you guys want to have a look, I could shrink you down with magic and show you.” He offered. “Will it hurt?” Blades asked, “nope! Only if it would be permanent, but because it will be temporary it will tickle.” Blades smiled at that response and made some space so Cody could do his thing.<br/>Boulder joined in as he wanted to see how their partners lived as well, Heatwave joined in as well because he was a little curious and he wanted to see Kade for himself that he was alright, Chase was left and he joined in so he wouldn’t be the odd bot out. They all stood in a line and Cody hopped off the pole then transformed into Dani as her shift so he could pull off the magic, he flew in front of them and chanted a little rhyme that he was sure would work. “For this day on these bots plight, allow me to cast their wish in light!” Cody said as a slew of magic then erupted from his hands swirling around the bots then beginning to shrink them.<br/><br/>As they shrunk, they eventually stopped at around Cody’s normal knee height, basically the size of a big-ish toy. When Cody was done he landed back down and transformed back, “how do you guys feel?” he asked. “You were right, it tickled” Blades said smiling and laughing. Cody smiled back and leaped over to the elevator, this time he had to take it because he would have to make separate trips otherwise if he wanted to take all the bots up the pole. “You guys coming?” Cody asked. The bots didn’t need to be told twice as they all transformed and drove or flew over to Cody and into the lift when it came down. When they actually got into the living part of the firehouse for the Burns, they stood into the main hall in bot mode and walked around to have a look even though they were actually really small even for the humans.<br/>“What is this? It feels so soft under my peds,” Blades asked as he walked, “it’s carpet, really nice right?” “Yeah!” Graham then stepped out of his room to see what the fuss was about. “Wah? The bots? Cody, did you bring them in here?” his older brother asked once he spotted them. “We were curious about how you lived, so when Cody said he could shrink us down we thought it could only be a fun idea.” Boulder said looking up at his partner, Graham was at least glad that they were small, he didn’t want them to break anything. “Well if that’s it do you want to see my room first?” Graham offered opening his door. “Sure!” Boulder said walking in.<br/><br/>Graham’s room was about sort of what they expected, a long bookshelf against the wall in front of his door, a long desk against the corner of his room with some plants on a shelf above it, and a dresser next to it that took up the other corner, then his bed taking up the last corner and wall beside the door. Simple but functional, and an open window next to his desk that had a bird land on the still. It tweeted a bit and Graham turned around, then oddly enough addressing it. “Has it really spread that quickly?” Graham asked when the bots reminded themselves that Graham could talk to animals. Boulder walked in a bit more and climbed up onto Graham’s bed, “what’s it saying?” he asked. The bird tweeted at him a bit and Graham responded, “The animals have had word spread quickly about you guys, and after tonight when they saw us dealing with the lava this bird here was wondering if we used magic to bring you guys to life. And my answer is no, they're actually aliens oddly enough.” The bird squeaked as if in surprise when Graham addressed it again, “no they come in peace, I’m pretty sure they would have hurt us by now if that were the case. Oh, and obviously, don’t mention this to any other comuners. Only my family know.” The bird tweeted one last time then flew off.<br/>“What do you mean by ‘comuners’?” Heatwave asked standing in the doorway. “Comuners are basically what you call shifters who can talk to animals, I’m not the only one on Griffin Rock who can do it, and if word spreads around too much because of the animals the shifter will find out about you guys, and then the non-shifters who know about shifters will know, and then the whole island knows. So still gotta keep a good appearance guys.” Graham said and the bots understanding.<br/><br/>Blades then perked up, “hey! Let’s go see Dani, I wanna see how her room looks,” the little helicopter said then running down the hall. “Blades wait!” Cody said quickly running after the bot and picking him up so he didn’t walk in on Dani. “Wah!” Blades squeaked as he was scooped up, “you can’t just run into her room Blades, that would be considered very rude to not nock at least.” Cody said holding the bot close to his chest so he couldn’t run off again, and surprisingly he was very light.<br/>Cody walked over to Dani’s door and knocked waiting for a response when Dani then peeked her head out from Kade’s room, “oh! Cody, over here.” She said. Cody turned to face his sister and she was surprised to see a little Blades being held in her brothers arms, but she could sense that it was Cody who shrunk the copter bot. “Oh my god! Blades! you look so cute when your shrunk down like this,” she complemented taking the copter bot off her brother's hands and holding him close in a nice hug. Blades being smothered got out a muffled- “thanks Dani” before her grip was loosened and the bot let in a loud intake of air, basically gasping for air.<br/>Graham came out of his room to see the others were in front of Kade’s room and he walked over to them with Chase and Heatwave in tow and Boulder held securely in his arms. “Please don’t go charging into people’s rooms Blades, it's considered extremely rude.” Graham said. “Why?” Boulder asked from where he was in Graham’s arms. Cody would have to answer this, “humans wear clothes for a reason guys, they do keep us warm but they also cover up some things on our bodies that are considered very privet, if you were to walk in on us changing clothes with those privets exposed it would make us extremely uncomfortable. Like how if another bot sees your ped mode gears.” The bots got the message when Cody compared it that way, and it made Blades’s faceplates turn a shade of blue as he hid himself in embarrassment in the shirt Dani had on.<br/><br/>Graham looked to silently hiss through his teeth as he looked at Dani who wasn’t discomforted by the act but did look to Cody for maybe a better translation in helping them understand. Cody was about to answer when their dad had come out from Kade’s room and saw them all in the hallway. “What the-? Are those the bots?” He asked when he noticed the little robots that were being held and the ones now standing next to Cody’s legs. “Yeah, I shrunk them down since they wanted to see how we lived.” Cody answered picking up Heatwave into one arm and Chase into the other because he was afraid of kicking them. Charlie laughed a little at the situation when he noticed that Heatwave was trying to look into Kade’s room behind him, he walked over to Cody and took Chase into his arms leaving the new shifter with the fire bot. “I’ll let you take him in to see how Kade is.” Charlie said to Cody, Heatwave smiled and nodded then looking up to Cody who started to walk into his big brother's room.<br/>Cody wasn’t all too worried, this wasn’t the first that Kade had come in really injured and out cold, so when Dani first mentioned that Kade was in an herb bath that was an immediate realization on what had happened. Heatwave was a little worried, he trusted Dani in knowing what she was doing but his fears still plagued him, sure the guy was a jerk but that didn’t mean he deserved to die, especially when they only just started getting along.<br/><br/>Cody stepped into Kade’s bathroom to see him in the tub and in his halfway shift, his gills slowly opening and closing indicating that he was just asleep. Cody could hear Heatwave sigh in relief and looked down to the little bot he had in his arms, “feel better?” he asked. Heatwave nodded. “Let’s leave him be then.” Cody said walking out the room but Heatwave changed positions so he could look over the boy's shoulder to watch them leave. “Cody, do you think it would be okay if I stayed in the hall? I just want to make sure he stays safe.” Heatwave said looking at Cody. “I don’t think my dad will let you stay in the hall but you could stay in my room, it’s right across from Kades.” Cody said once they were in the hall. “That works, but now I’m wondering about the others.” “Wondering about what?” Blades asked when he heard them come up.<br/>“Heatwave was wondering if he could stay in the hall, but I told him he could stay in my room since it's right across.” Cody answered. “I’m okay with the bots staying with you Cody, just be careful.” Charlie said. The bots all smiled and were let down next to Cody who smiled back at them. Graham then yawned and started to head back to his room, “well I’m going to call it a night, see everyone in the morning.” “‘Night,” Charlie responded before heading to his own bedroom. “Good night guys,” Dani said going to her own room. Cody just waved and opened his door for the bots to step in.<br/><br/>Cody’s room appeared to be a generic kid's room, a single bed next to the door but being in the middle of the room and a desk in front of it with a window above. Some shelves here and there, with some books and other items on multiple different topics, but there seemed to be a boxed shelf on Cody’s desk with books specifically on different types of first response jobs, from a police officer to a firefighter to even a paramedic. Cody had a bathroom off to the left and next to its door was his clothes hanger.<br/>The bots climbed up to Cody’s bed and they began to look around, Chase finding the response books on Cody’s desk. “Are those books over there about first response jobs?” the police bot asked pointing. Cody looked and realized what he was talking about, “yeah, since all of the first response jobs are taken in my family I have to start planning for myself. Dad might go into retirement in a few years to keep up appearances so I’m thinking of replacing him and becoming an officer. But if any of my other siblings find families of their own during that time I might have to replace them, so it’s only a matter of time until I can at least get my driver’s license before I make a concrete decision.” Cody said running his thumb over the spines of the books with the law enforcement book at the very top.<br/><br/>“What do you mean by- ‘keep up appearances’?” Heatwave asked, the rest of the bots looked confused as well. “My family's types of shift can live up to millions of years, but normal non-shifter can only live up to eighty or more. So it would obviously cause a little confusion if a person the town knew very well just didn’t age, that would raise a red flag to the island, and my dad is around that age-ish where normal people would start to look into retirement. It’s common for shifters who can outlive a normal human to keep acting like a human until they hit that old age line, where they would then fake passing away and start a new life all over again with a new identity, and then rinse repeat.” Cody answered walking over to his bathroom and starting to get changed around the corner so the bots couldn’t see him but he could still talk to them. “So your father is around that point where he would need to fake his death?” Chase asked sounding a little worried. “Give it maybe fifteen years then yes he would need to do that, but possibly five before he goes into retirement.” Cody answered from the bathroom. “What’s retirement?” Blades asked, “Retirement is when a person becomes old enough that they can no longer work and they get money from the government to pay bills and stuff. The normal age is sixty to seventy, but I guess if you’ve saved up enough money over your life you can go into early retirement.” Cody answered walking out in pajama shorts and still in his shift.<br/><br/>The bots looked at Cody when Boulder decided to ask about before when Blades was being scolded about running into Dani’s room. “Cody, you said before how humans wear clothes to cover your translation of root mode gears, can you go into more detail since your only in those now?” the bulldozer asked, “And what about Kade and your dad? When we fought the t-rex they didn’t have any clothing on ether,” Chase said.<br/>“Well, all people have to have something around their waist because that’s where our gears are you could say. Girls like Dani also have them on their chest so they have to cover that up as well, as for my dad and Kade when they’re in their shift, their gears disappear so it’s not a problem.” Cody said sitting on his bed then pulling the covers back. He knew why the bots had questions about gender and stuff like that it’s because they lacked gender, or more on the lines of they don’t have biological gender, but because of meeting with other alien races they gender themselves so they don’t know about the things that make a male or a female.<br/>“What is this thing that we’re on to? It feels better than the carpet?” Blades asked bouncing a bit. Cody had to look through his memories he had of the bots for this one, “this is basically my birth, it’s what I go into recharge on.” “then what of the fabrics?” Chase asked, “I can’t regulate my body temperature so I keep blankets over me to keep me warm.” Cody said laying down. “I want to try recharging again, especially on this soft birth.” Blades said smiling and walking up to Cody and then leaning back on the boy's stomach where the copter bot gasped as he felt Cody’s fur. “Oh my Primus! His fur is so soft!” Blades said snuggling the fluffy fur on Cody’s belly making the cat-like shifter giggle a bit. Boulder then came up and felt the fur on Cody’s arm that was resting in front of the boy’s chest, “wow, that is really soft,” the green bot said then sitting down and resting on Cody’s arm. But Cody moved him over next to blades because is sort of hurt when the bot rested there. “I’ll let you recharge there Boulder; it sort of hurts on my arm.” Boulder understood and began to get comfy next to Blades. Heatwave then came up and actually rested against Cody’s chest under his chin, Cody was happy with it and he actually started to purr as he held the fire bot close. Chase was last and occupied the space next to Heatwave in the crook of Cody’s elbow, the bot just rested his head there so it was fine for Cody he just hoped that Chase didn’t kick him in the ribs.<br/><br/>With everyone comfortable, Cody used his tail to lift the blanket over his back so his back didn’t get cold and so the bots could still see, he then wrapped the appendage around Blades and Boulder, keeping them close as they all began to fall asleep. The bots liked this, all of these experiences happening in the span of two days was amazing. The human family they were brought into, the planet itself, all the learning they could have the potential to do, it was just amazing. When Optimus said that this planet was their new home, they believed he certainly wasn’t wrong.</p>
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